SM's Galaxy Knights: Another Dimension's Story
by Vanessa St. Cloud
Summary: (Ch. 22 up!) AU-Earth is in turmoil by evil with powerful teens fighting it. The past of the Prince and Princess, the tragedy of their forbidden love, and the fall of the Kingdoms of good. Lime themes!
1. Ch 1Knight of the Moon

Sailor Moon's Galaxy Knights **__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the** "Sailor Moon" **series. This goes along the lines of the original series, but an alternate dimension. Trust me, eventually, my knight will meet the scouts. Patience is a virtue, so awaiting that moment won't be so bad. REVIEW!!

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Sailor Moon's Galaxy Knights

Another Dimension's Story

**Chapter 1**

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Knight of the Moon

"Stephen! Wake up!" a woman screamed.

The sleeping youth tilted his pearly-white head up slightly at the irate woman's face, then lifted his face off the desk, rubbing his eyes gingerly. "Sorry." The young man said, his tone as sleepy and indifferent as he looked.

"Sorry!? That's your excuse for every stupid thing you do! I can't believe a kid with grades like yours can be capable of such blatant stupidity!" she screamed, slamming her ruler on his desk. He flinched slightly, looking about the class in mock horror. "If sleeping is stupid, how come everyone does it every night?" he asked plainly. 

"Why you rotten little….you have detention after school, smart ass. And I'm calling your parents, Stephen Tsukikage! Go wait in my office right now, you brat!" she raged, yanking him out of his desk and shoving him hard towards the door. Stephen shrugged her off and picked up his book bag before sauntering out of the classroom.

He leaned against her office door, staring at the ceiling dreamily with his ice blue eyes, running a hand through his shock white hair. "Stupid teacher….if she'd have stopped praising my good grades to the entire class, I wouldn't fall asleep in class. Maybe the dark ages were a good time to show off how smart you were, but now you get called a nerd or a geek for it. Why can't she just give us back our assignments and tests and keep quiet about who did good?" he mumbled, making a noise in his throat," Mom and Dad are going to freak when they find out about this."

**_~ The Tsukikage Household ~_**

- Living Room -

"I can't believe you, Stephen. You have had straight A's since elementary school and now your getting C's, and in math for that matter! Your Spanish teacher even sent us a letter yesterday about your sloppy behavior. Falling asleep in class, bad test grades, sassing the teachers….this should be someone else's student evaluation report, not yours! What the hell is going on inside your head, mister!?" his father shouted, holding Stephen up by his school uniform.

"I don't know….elementary school was easy cause it wasn't algebra and foreign languages and science labs. Ack, times change, Dad, I'm just not used to it!" Stephen gagged, trying to pry his father's fingers off. His father remedied his efforts by dropping him onto the floor. "You are damn lucky your mother wasn't home when your teacher called. You are not to tell her about this, but you are going to remedy this problem. You are getting a tutor." His father announced, fishing through his pockets as his son stared up at him in disbelief.

"You're what!? I'm not doing that badly! You can't do this to me, everyone's going to laugh, Dad!" Stephen rasped out, nimbly jumping to his feet. His father crammed a crumpled piece of paper into his hand before the young man could take a step. "This is the address for the tutoring agency. You go there and get some help for your sorry ass right now or don't bother coming home at all!"

"But…." Stephen tried, but his father grabbed him by his collar again and dragged him to the door. "No but's, get moving. They close in two hours, so you better pray there's no line." His father chided, whipping the door open and promptly threw his son out of the house.

Stephen got to his feet as the door slammed behind him, the click of the lock busting all of his hopes of breaking the door down. "That's twice now. I don't think my body can take another booting today," he mumbled, looking at the slip of paper his father had given him," Onyx Tutors Unlimited, huh? Oh well, if it'll calm Dad down, I'm all for it. Last thing I need is a broken neck." 

**_~ Onyx Tutors Unlimited ~_**

"You're closed?! But your hours say from 8am to 8pm. I have over an hour and a half left!" Stephen whined, getting his third shove in a day from a portly security guard. "Yes, but not on Friday's. We close an hour early then. You'll have to come back tomorrow at eight in morning. Sorry kid, next time make sure you check the schedule next time. Good evening." The man said, shutting the door and locking it tightly, then disappeared into the darkness of the building.

"Dammit!" Stephen moaned," Could things get any worse!?"

As if in answer, the sky began to rumble and toil, then ice cold rain fell down upon him. "Me and my big mouth." He muttered, and began to run," The arcade might still be open. I just hope Alan can stand to have me crash there until this tutoring center re-opens."

Stephen made it past a few blocks when he heard a loud yowling. It was close, maybe in the street, full of pain and fright. Stephen stepped off the sidewalk gingerly to see it was a soaking wet black cat with a small silver pouch around its neck. The cat also has piece of hot pink tape on its forehead. Then he heard car horn blaring and forced his head towards it. It was barreling down on the frightened feline, who was frozen in place in the headlights.

"Hey!" Stephen yelled, bolting into the street towards the frozen feline. The thing let an ear-shattering yowl as the car was closing in on it. Stephen grabbed hold of it and kept on running until he reach the opposite side of the street, holding the cold, panting creature close to his own soaked chest. 

Stephen looked down at the small animal and rubbed its head, grabbing at the tape fastened to its soft forehead. The tape was stubborn so Stephen guess it must have been put on the cat a long times ago. Its appearance said enough about how annoying it was to the cat, littered with claw marks and scrapes that almost tore through the material, but not enough. The cat was all black and lean with eyes of the purest gold staring up at him as he yanked again and again on the tape. 

After several tries, Stephen was successful in getting the tape off and making the cat very happy as well as yanking several hairs out of its skull. "Looks like something some dumb preschooler would do. I wouldn't be surprised if my brat sister did this, huh kitty? Hey, wait….what's this?" Stephan began, running his finger over the golden bald spot atop the cat's head. As gold as the cat's eyes, the shape of a crescent moon with its points up shimmered on the wet cat's forehead. 

No sooner did he pull his finger away from the mark did the cat go crazy in his arms, sinking its tiny, razor sharp teeth into his hand. "OWWW!! Stupid cat! What was that for!?" he yelled, watching in disbelief as the cat ran from him at lightening speed and vanished as quickly into the rain. Stephen got up, his good hand holding the bleeding one firmly. "That's my good deed for the century. No more animal rescues for me, it's too hazardous," he grumbled, turning on his heals and began running again," Now back to my previous engagement, surviving my idiot father."

**_~ Haitsuchi's Arcade Heaven ~_**

Stephen stepped into the quiet arcade grumbling his frustration. He felt better about doing it with barely anyone was around. It was well past 8p.m., when only the hard core gamers were in the arcade either playing what few gams had not been unplugged or eating at the café past the games. Stephen could have cared less what they were all doing, he didn't know any of them personally and didn't want to. He had only one person on his mind now, the only person that would help him out of the mess he'd gotten himself into.

"Alan!! Where are you? Ow….Alan?" Stephen called out, wincing in pain as he bumped his hand into one of the games. 

"He's in the back!" the gamers shouted at him, looking at him crossly for interrupting them. Stephen blinked with wide and shocked eyes, then nodded and moved towards the back of the arcade center. It didn't take long for him to hear Alan's voice. He sounded angry, but nonetheless tolerant. There was another voice present, but it sounded muffled and soft.

Stephen finally saw his friend talking to another young man. He was almost as tall as Alan was, but everything else was the exact opposite. This young man had short, jet-black hair and an almost heart shaped face. He wore sunglasses and a maroon business jacket, a black shirt underneath, and black pants with similarly colored shoes. Alan was speaking again, his dirty blonde hair shuffling in the short and messy ponytail he always wore, the pale peach apron over his light gray button up shirt and tan pants. He was wearing a new pair of penny loafers today, the chocolate brown color looking as if it had been polished only a few moments ago.

The young man he was talking to wasn't responding to Alan's words, but rather looking past him….right at Stephen. Alan seemed to notice this after waving his hand in front of the guy a few times and not getting much of a reaction. He turned around and his formerly sour face let out a look of alarm. "Stephen? What the heck happened to you?!" he exclaimed.

"You know that old saying about never letting a black cat cross your path? Well, I forgot about it and saved one from becoming street pizza. As my reward, damn thing bit me. Got any Band-Aids? Heh." Stephen chuckled as a drop of blood hit the tiles.

"Jeez Stephen, I thought you walked into another gang fight." Alan gasped, leading him past the other young man off to a door. Stephen knew the room well enough, Alan's own private place where he and his friends would play cards and shoot some pool. Stephen was content with the card games, but the big screen TV was the only real reason he ever took the time to go to any of the games. When they weren't playing cards or watching pay-per-view, Alan had become his personal part-time nurse whenever Stephen dazed off and got hurt because of it. Alan told him that he didn't mind preventing Stephen from getting infections and bleeding to death, but Stephen knew Alan couldn't always be prepared for every accident he walked into.

Alan sat him down at the card table and walked off as the guy with the dark hair walked in and shut the door. Stephen couldn't really tell if he was staring at him behind the dark, wide sunglasses, but the wet blood on his hand was more on his mind than prying eyes. Alan came back and gave the other young man a sour look before dumping and armful of bandages, cloths, and rubbing alcohol onto the card table. "What was it this time? Girls in castles? Fighting for world peace? A dragon slaying, I bet. Your daydreams get you into such trouble." Alan muttered, unscrewing the alcohol deftly before pouring little of it onto one of the cloths. 

"Funny. It was just the stupid cat and I wasn't daydreaming at the time. I was really coming here to ask if I could crash back here. On my way, I saved some black cat from being turned into street pizza and the thanks I get for it is a hard bite. I just hope it didn't have rabies," Stephen breathed, shaking his hand a little, then let Alan rub alcohol on it," Who's he?"

Alan's gaze remained firmly on Stephen's hand, peering hard at it with each swipe. Stephen was used to most injuries hurting. The cat's teeth had gone all the way through his flesh and the blood had been visible on his hand even in the pouring rain. He was deeply puzzled as to why the alcohol wasn't stinging on the wounds, but he didn't voice it.

"My half-brother....Gary. He came here about an hour before you showed up….much to my surprise. I'm giving him a job here, janitorial work and emptying tokens for me while I run the café our parents have built on. Gary's all thumbs with waiting on people. Might interfere with his college studies and all." Alan said, rather coldly.

Stephen looked at Gary for a minute, slowly tilting his head to the side. "You're in college….huh? How many years.?" He asked.

Gary gave off a slight smile and shrugged. "Not long. Finished my first year last semester and I'm starting on my second year, then I'll be able to go to a major university after another year. I have to pay the rent and doing work study as tutor only covers my tuition, not my life." Gary said plainly, his voice kind of soft and muddled.

"You got a cold or something?…..Wait a second! Did you say tutor!?? I'm saved!!" Stephen cheered, smacking Alan in the chin as he raised his hands up to cheer.

"Ow! You're saved? What are you talking about? And further more, why do you need to crash here?" Alan grumbled, yanking Stephen's hand back down.

"I'm….having trouble in my mathematics and Spanish classes lately and my teacher called home. Dad was the only one home and he really gave me the third degree this time. He sent me out to go get a tutor at this fancy new center, but they closed before I got there and….well….Dad said I had to get a tutor tonight or not to bother coming home at all. Now I'm saved….well, if your brother doesn't mind tutoring me. My family is well off, we can pay whatever you want." Stephen explained, looking earnestly at Gary.

Gary looked a little perplexed after Stephen had finished, but after a few minutes a slow but anxious smile started to creep up his face. "My rent is $625 a month, total. How's about $200 a week for sessions after school, Monday through Friday?"

"Done! Hell, we can afford to give you more than that, but since you have another job to worry about, it's fine by me. Just write your name and fee down on a piece of paper, all the stuff that's important if my parents need to contact you. We can have the sessions here if you want, when you're not working. Anything so I can go home and not put anybody out." Stephen grinned.

He frowned as Alan rapped him on the head, slamming the alcohol bottle on the table a moment later. "Hey, what did I say?"

"Nothing….but I don't like you lying to me, Stephen. We're friends, you didn't have to lie about being hurt when all you wanted was a place to stay." Alan griped, pointing at Stephen's hand. He looked down to see that his hand was fine, all the blood had been cleaned away….but there were not bite marks. The wounds the cat had given him had vanished.

"I wasn't lying. A cat did bite me. You think I dumped blood on my hand just to get some sympathy, Alan? We're best friends, you know I'm no sicko. A cat bit me, I know it did….maybe….maybe it just nicked me. Maybe it didn't do as much damage as I thought it did. Sorry, but I know that thing bit me." Stephen swore, looking at his hand curiously.

"Ah, well, like you'd know. Knowing you Stephen, you probably imagined it all. You're head is always in the clouds….no wonder you need tutoring," Alan sighed, shaking his head with a wry smile," I guess its ok that your school needs will help my little brother out with his finances. God knows he needs it, just come to me first to unlock the room when you come in. Gary gets out from class about an hour after you do….so you might as well get everything ready so you don't rob me of his help when I need it, ok?"  
Stephen nodded, leaping to his feet to shake his friend's hands. "I'll even pitch in when you need him to help….I'll do it for free. What are friends for, you know?" 

"Yeah, yeah, just no daydreaming on the job." Allan chuckled, patting his friend heartily on the back.

~

Stephen wasted no time in running back home after Gary gave him the information he requested. Gary had been nice enough to say they could start the sessions on Monday. 'At least now I can sleep in my own bed….even with Casey the Cockroach living under the same roof. The little larva better not have gotten the urge to invade my personal space again.' He thought as his house came into view. He held Gary's information in a plastic bag since his clothes were already wet and the rain hadn't lifted when he left the arcade. He ran up the slippery driveway as fast as he could, his clothes sticking coldly to his skin as he did. 

He stood at the front door a moment, digging madly through his wet pockets for his house keys. Stephen let out a quick, triumphant grin as his found them and swiftly unlocked the door. 

Stephen shut the door quietly after he got inside the house. Yanking off his wet shoes and socks, his bare feet took him towards the stairs and up to his room. Much to his dismay, his light was on.

"Casey!!!! You little brat!!!!" Stephen screamed, charging swiftly for his room. The small form of his six-year-old sister shot out a second later with a green, leather bound book clenched in her tiny little hands. "You little larva! You've been in my journal again!! You are so dead!!" Stephen raged, grabbing the tiny girl by her brown braids. Stephen and Casey looked nothing like brother and sister even though they had the same parents. She had brown hair and eyes and a dimple in her right cheek, everything Stephen's face lacked. His shock white hair and pure icy eyes set them terribly apart, as did Casey's mischievous actions in his room when he wasn't around.

"Get a lock, big brother. Hah, mom and dad won't let you get one cause they believe in 'trust', don't they? What are you so worried about, dork, you only talk about your mushy dreams and crud! Let me go!" she wailed, kicking and scratching at him. 

"Its none of your damn business, you little beast! Give me that!" Stephen growled, snatching the book from his sister's flailing hands, and then he stiffened as he noticed something familiar sticking out of her little shirt pocket," My wallet! That's it, I'm sticking you in the garbage disposal! You are really dead now!"

Stephen threw his book back into his room and carried his wailing sister down the stairs. He was halfway to the kitchen before his mother and father walked into the house laughing and holding hands. They stopped when they saw Stephen and Casey in the center of the room. 

"Dammit Stephen! Casey! What is it now!?" their father shouted. Stephen dropped his sister onto her rump and displayed his empty wallet at his parents. "She used my money to buy crap again! And she was in my room again! Either I get my money back or she does the twist down the sink in a thousand pieces." He declared.

"Casey!" their father growled out, but Casey had her best innocent face on. "No, I didn't do anything. Stephen is just trying to pin it all on me for him wasting his money on junk!" she wept, looking pitifully up at their parents. 

"Me!? You're a damn liar. I left my wallet at home after Dad sent me to get a tutor. It had fifty dollars and change in it….and now it's gone. She's done it before, you two know better. She's a greedy brat and a spy. If you won't buy me a lock, I will. Trust does not work with that thing you call a daughter."

"Enough!" their father shouted, grabbing Casey by the arm," You are grounded….again, until you give your brother back his money. I am sick and tired of hearing about what you are stealing from your brother when we give you a good enough allowance already. You, young lady, are going to sell back whatever you bought with that money or else I'm going to hand pick what we will bring to a pawn shop right now. If it was candy and you've already eaten it, why don't you just save your mother and I the trouble of searching the garbage cans and go pick what we'll give the pawn shop….from your room." 

"Yes, sir….I'll go pick one now." She sulked, turned about slowly towards the stairs. "Rachel, go with her and make sure she doesn't go to his room. I guess she hasn't grown out of it yet." 

Stephen saw his mother nod and went up the stairs with Casey to her darkened room. "And you're grounded to if you've come home without getting a tutor, young man." His father said gruffly.

Stephen smiled at his father as he lifted up the plastic bag to the man's sour face. "I have not disappointed you, Dad. I got the best tutor money can buy, at a good salary for sessions five days a week. All he wants is an even $200 each week, pretty good deal and he's willing to help me right after school. Guess I'm off the hook….eh, Pop?" he beamed.

His father took the bag and stuffed in his coat. "Well, at least you're back to doing things right, the only way a Tsukikage was meant to live. You're either smart or you're stupid, and don't you forget it, Stephen. This money had better damn well be worth it come report card time or you're paying your own way into college. You have another year to go before I can hit a high school, including this one. Don't screw it up now or ever again." His father said sharply, his face softening as his wife and daughter down the stairs with an armfuls of dolls and Casey's pink radio.

"Serves you right, Casey. Stay out of my stuff." Stephen snapped at her, and Casey quickly stuck her tongue out at him before their parents carted her away. Stephen went back up to his room as soon as he heard the car pull out of the driveway. 

He shut his door and scooped his journal off the floor, shaking a dirty sock loose from it. Stephen room was littered with dirty clothes and empty snack boxes. His hamper was near his only window and the only cleans spots in his room were his bed and his computer desk, though the desk had old shavings from pencils, a few empty soda cans, and crumpled sheets of paper. 

Stephen opened his window halfway and then opened his empty hamper. He set the journal on the bottom of it and then went steadily through his room picking up clothing. He grabbed and tossed each bit of clothing into his hamper until only the snack boxes were left on his floor. As he shut the hamper top down, he said," Even the brat isn't desperate enough to touch my underwear to read my journal. How dare she read it! God only knows how many times she's read it before I caught her….I'm officially saving up for a deadbolt."

Stephen started picking up his snack boxes after that, jammed his foot down on each one after he dropped them into his garbage pail. "I don't do this often enough, do I?" he said quietly, plopping down onto his bed," I'm surprised she even found my journal under all this mess."

"I'm surprised a person could actually live in such a pig sty." said a cool male voice. It came from behind him and Stephen leaned his head back a bit.

He let out a yelp as he found the source when it spoke again. "Hiya, Stephen." said the black cat, the same cat that had bitten him. Stephen was so startled that he slipped off of his bed and landed face first onto his carpet. "Ah! What the hell is going on? Oh God, a talking cat, damn, you gave me rabies. I already hallucinating!" Stephen gasped as he got into a sitting position. The cat leapt nimbly off the windowsill onto the bed, then just as swiftly right in front of Stephen. "I'll have you know I'm the healthiest cat this side of Tokyo, Stephen. I am really talking to you. My voice is as real the nose on your face. I haven't come to drive you crazy either, I've come to give you something." the cat said.

"Ok, just let me test something here." Stephen gasped, grabbing at the cat's tail and gave it a good hard tug. It let out a yowl and scratched Stephen's hand hard. 

"Jeez, ok, I admit I'm awake….and being crazy doesn't hurt this much….I'd be too nutty to feel that, I guess." Stephen yelped, rubbing his hand. He stared at the wounds for a moment, watching the blood start to clot on the scratches. He bit his bottom lip as the wounds started to pull inward and within a few seconds all he could see was his skin without the wounds. 

"How? What the hell?" Stephen stammered, but the cat just shook its head. "As I said before, Stephen, I have something for you. As you can plainly see, my test has worked. Your wounds, any kind of non-fatal wound anyway, will always heal given the proper amount of time. If you get your head cut off, well, you're out of luck, so let's hope for the best with your destiny." the cat said.

"My head? Destiny? This all sounds pretty weird….hell, a talking cat is over the top weird. Who or what are you really?" the youth asked.

"My name is Cyrus, your guardian cat. You have been chosen to fight the Dark Universe as the Moon Knight. All you have do is put the pendant contained in this pouch around you neck and say 'Moon Sword, Transform,' then the rest is up to you."

"Rewind that for me, pussy cat. Some piece of jewelry is going to make me into a Moon knight? What planet are you from?" Stephen grumbled. Cyrus shook his fuzzy black head at him. 

"You are the guardian knight of the ancient Moon Kingdom, reborn on Earth to battle the Dark Universe that is killing its people, right here and now. Haven't there been a lot of disappearances lately? People winding up dead? The Dark Universe causes it so I had to find you as soon as possible so no more innocent life would be lost. Please, take the pendant out of my pouch and say the words. The a lot of people's lives are at stake here!" the cat said, more urgently now.

Stephen shrugged and dug one hand into the silver pouch. "Fine. I'm starting to think this is just another weirdo daydream of mine, but I'll humor you, _Cyrus_," Stephen said, withdrawing a small silver sword pendant from the pouch," Cool hallucination though. What a wicked looking blade, hey, with a ruby heart in the hilt. Where do hallucinations buy these babies?"

"Stop joking and say the words!" the cat yowled as Stephen thrust the pendant around his neck. "Ok, don't get your fur in a twist, kitty. Ah well**_, Moon Sword, Transform! _**AHHHH!!" Stephen said aloud, then doubled over as his body was engulfed in a silver light. 

As the light began to die, Stephen opened his eyes to find himself staring at armor fingers. "What the heck!" he yelped and swiftly ran out of the room to the bathroom. He stared into the mirror, the shock overtaking him as his face didn't look back. He saw a young man in silvery armor with a crescent moon on the breastplate, a white tunic. He had a silvery cape on two and silver helmet that only cover the top of his head attached to what look like a metal theater mask that cover his eyes, the back part covered with white cloth that hid the back and sides of his head. He couldn't see his eyes, only the white holes where his eyes should have been.

He went back to his room slowly and shut the door with almost no effort, still looking himself over. There was a sword similar to the pendant he had put about his neck now holstered to his side and the armor was over his lower body as well, complete with a golden hilt. "Moon Knight, huh?" Stephen asked the cat, which was now sitting on Stephen's bed. "Protector of this planet….as are the other knights of this universe." Cyrus said.

"Other knights? Cool, so I won't be taking risks all by myself forever. This armor is pretty cool, kind of like medieval armor. I've actually battled villains and stuff in another life?" he asked and got a nod from the cat," Wish I could remember it, would make a great story."

"Story time is over, Moon Knight. We have a lot of talking to do." Cyrus said.

"How about telling me how to turn this off? If my parents see me in this, they won't know its me. They'll totally freak out." Stephen pointed out, taking off the mask as he sat down beside the cat. He rubbed at his eyes a little and smiled, the cat grinning back gently. 

"Just think it and it will come. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about." The cat chuckled, watching the armor fade from the youth's body as easily as it had appeared.

~

"So, let me get this straight….I'm a reincarnated knight from some great universal war from 10,000 years ago, just like all the other knights you say exist right here in Tokyo, but you don't what they look like. You can only feel the power inside them like you did when we came in contact," Stephen stated, getting a nod from Cyrus," Great, so now I have to get dragged around the city looking for people neither of us know. Do you have anything I can swallow a little better than the end to what little free time I have left?"

Cyrus gave him a wry look, his tiny pink nose turning up at him. "You're a super hero now, Stephen. I am your free time now. Finding the heroes that will save this planet and all others is more important than video games and daydreaming." The cat hissed. 

Stephen set his elbows on his legs and leaned his chin upon his open palms. "All right, don't throw a hissy fit, pussy cat. Just tell me a few things. Since I was some big time hero 10,000 years ago, why can't I remember it? And how am I going into battle an entire evil universe for my own? Why does Earth have to be its starting point?"

"They want it because a two special things are hidden within two people that could turn the tide for either side of this battle. When I came to know of my own destiny to find you, certain things were bestowed upon my mind that cleared up those very same questions. All my sources seem to know was that a great devastation occurred 10,000 years ago that cost almost all of the knights their lives as well as the king of the moon and his son. The Moon Prince is one of the keepers of a special gem that when combined with another can create a powerful crystal capable of vaporizing anything evil and granting the wishes of the users, ones that are pure of heart. The keeper of the other half of the crystal is the Earth Princess….as lost to us as the Moon Prince was. They are the reason the Dark Universe is starting their conquests here, to gain the crystal and use it for their own purposes." Cyrus explained.

"A prince and a princess hidden from good and evil on the same planet. I should be writing this down for my creative writing class. Not to change the subject or anything, but why can't either of us remember what the devastation was or what these royal people and knights looked like?" Stephen spouted.

The cat gave off a slight shrug. "I don't know, all I know is that we must find the prince and princess and awaken them before the Dark Universe does. So, tomorrow afternoon we're paying a nice long visit to Onyx Tutors Unlimited."

"It's closed now, Cyrus. I already have a tutor anyway and I pretty much doubt bringing a cat with me will get me another one, not that I need another one." Stephen groaned.

"We're not going to get a tutor for you, lamebrain! Have you even heard of that company until today? Have you ever seen it before now?" the cat said.

Stephen was ready to snap at Cyrus, but stopped, lowering his head to think. "Not really. I know that place was an apartment building that got condemned a year ago….I saw it on the news….but, now that I think about it, I've never heard of the place until today. I know people in class doing terrible in other subjects, but Onyx Unlimited was never mentioned to them in class or me."

"I followed you there tonight and got a very bad feeling about it. I was glad you didn't get there in time to be let in. I waited until after I tested you aura to go back and investigate and…." Cyrus began.

"Tested!? You bit me, you little fur ball!" Stephen shouted, rapping his fist on the cat's head. 

"Ow! I know it was a little extreme, but you have to admit that the healing benefits it put into your own blood was well worth a few moments of pain!" Cyrus exclaimed angrily," When I went back, I got in through a ventilation shaft and saw families inside the building, hanging from what looked like snakes attached to these funny looking paperweights."

"Paperweights? That sounds ridiculous. The snakes I could buy, but paperweights? What idiot thought that up?" the young man laughed.

"The Dark Universe can instill their life draining specters and abilities in any living or inanimate objects. They have all the powers of darkness at their disposal, it just doesn't mean they are terribly picky in what they use it on. Anyway, the snakes from the paperweights were draining the life from the families, young and old. I saw the weakest members fall to the floor as they were sucked dry of life. We must go there and stop whatever fiend is behind this and save those who are still able to breathe."

"Did you just hear what you said? Snakes sucking people's lives away in a tutoring center? Killer paperweights? This all sounds a little, no, very far fetched. Hell, I thought talking cats were silly, but this?? I dunno." Stephen mumbled, scratching his head.

"Stop trying to understand it all and try listening to me for once. You are the only chance those families have to get away and the only one who has the power to destroy the monster causing their misery. You and I are going to take them down tomorrow night….so you think about this. Don't blow it off because it sounds so unbelievable to you. This is your destiny, Stephen. Trust me, I'm the only one that can help you achieve it." Cyrus told him, looking up at him very seriously.

"My guardian cat, my and the universe's only hope. This is so heavy….," Stephen sighed, lying back gently onto his bed," You're never going to leave me alone until I do this, are you?"

"Nope. You're stuck with me." Cyrus grinned.

"Ahhh, all right, Cyrus. I'll see what I can do….but this battling stuff isn't really my thing. I took karate classes from age five to ten and that was it. I haven't gone to that class since and even with all those classes I never got a black belt. So forgive me if I don't like the idea of my butt getting kicked around by some freak job from another universe." Stephen replied, closing his eyes gently.

"Your powers will be enough for now. The Dark Universe hasn't had any interference in their affairs since this mess started. They won't be expecting you to show up at all. We just have to play it safe and hit them hard when they try anything." Cyrus said crisply.

"Won't my secret identity get blown if I change in front of them? My hair does make me stand out a bit." Stephen pointed out, letting out a slight breath of air as Cyrus curled up on his stomach.

"No one will know if you wear a disguise. I heard you'll be getting fifty dollars back tonight…..a cheap wig should be worth at least that much and maybe a pair of sunglasses. Besides, its not like you'll be letting this monster tell on you. The object of your mission is to destroy the evil monsters they send, not arrest them. They'd kill even more people that way." Cyrus mumbled, purring softly as he shut his tiny eyes.

Stephen let out a deep breath before nodding. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll do all that tomorrow, but Cyrus, just let me sleep all this weirdness off. Have to save plenty of room for all the new weirdness I'll get to absorb tomorrow. Night, Cyrus."

When the cat didn't answer, Stephen just kept his eyes closed and drifted to sleep, his dreams offering him subtle comforts throughout the night.

**_~ The Next Day ~_**

- Onyx Tutors Unlimited -

"Ok, this better be worth the fifty bucks, kitty cat, or a certain cat I know is getting fixed." Stephen said, adjusting the short brown wig on his head. He had an old pair of scratched up sunglasses covering his eyes and he wore a green sports jersey with double 7's on the front and back and worn out jeans and sneakers. They were things he had been meaning to throw away once he bought new clothes, but never really got around to it. He was glad in a morbid way that he hadn't, he only hoped the Dark Universe monster, whatever it was, wouldn't see through it. He truly hoped it wouldn't notice the necklace he was wearing, the sword pendant hidden securely under his jersey.

"Watch it, kid. I know where you sleep. I can castrate you as easily as the next anal kitty. I'll be in the vents so you just go and get them to give you a tour of the place before you decide on getting a tutor, the second you see them try something transform, got it?" Cyrus warned.

"Yeah, I got it the third time you told me, Cyrus. Go do your thing and let me do mine," Stephen mumbled as he went through the entrance of the building. He looked about briefly as he casually walked through the spick and span lobby. He had to admit for a dark and evil universe, they sure hid it well enough. There were statues of angels and works of fine art all over the walls and a large perfect marble fountain in the center.

As he got closer to the front desk, he saw a beautiful woman sitting there, hair as blonde as corn silk and with eyes just as blue as the sky. She wore clean-cut clothing and her make-up was as perfect as a super-model's. 'If they're so evil, they hide it pretty damn well. God couldn't see through this, well, unless he knows more about this whole mess than I do.' He thought, laying his hands on the desk firmly.

The woman smiled at him and pulled a clipboard out from her desk. "How may I help you, young man?" she said sweetly.

"Uh, I need a tutor for Spanish and math classes. I'm having terrible problems in them and I heard about this place so I decided to see if you could help me. I don't want my parents finding out about it, so could we maybe make my sessions very discrete." Stephen said plainly, flashing her a heart-warming grin.

The woman smiled back and swiftly got up from her chair. "Follow me. We can definitely help you. No will ever know you were here." 

'I bet that's what you told the other people who came in here. God, my stomach hurts just by listening to her. Maybe Cyrus isn't just some freaky cat. Then my life really is on the line if I screw things up. Stay cool, just follow the evil universe woman. Cyrus can't be too far off anyway….I hope.' He thought, following the woman to a pair of marvelously carved wooden doors lined with gold plating.

He passed by the woman, trying not to shiver as his hand brushed against her. His stomach twisted in knots at the touch, all the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end as he walked further down the dimly lit corridor. There were no more paintings on the wall, only tan walls and gray marble pillars welcomed his shielded eyes.

The woman was beside him again, a cheery look decked across her features. "Your tutors are at the end of the hall. Just come with me, young man. We'll end all of your problems in a few minutes." She said sweetly.

Stephen simply nodded at her as she led him down the dim hallway his eyes set beyond the woman's head for the door to what Cyrus had told him ended many people's lives. The walk was long and tedious, but Stephen was too nervous to think about it. 

'Are theses powers going to be enough to stop them. I haven't even seen a monster yet and I'm already getting freaked out. Just stay cool or this monster will eat you before you even get to the room.' He thought, coughing a little as the another large set of wooden doors came into view. The woman pushed one of them open and went inside, looking back briefly to gesture Stephen in. He obeyed her, his eyes swiveling back and forth as he came inside. 

There was nothing in the room but a table and small black pyramid paperweight. The entire room was lit a by a the same dim lamps as the hallway had been, but there was no one inside the other than himself and the woman. 

"So where are my tutors?" he asked casually, turning around slightly to keep his eyes on the woman better. She shrugged, walking by him to the table, lifting the fist sized paperweight in her hands and started towards him. "They'll be here, but how about this gift for choosing Onyx Tutors Unlimited as your tutoring center? All of our customers get one, here, take it." She said, shoving it forth to his hands.

He took a fearful step backward as she did, and kept backing up as she tried to force it upon him again and again until his back rammed into the doors. "I already have lots of paperweights at home. I really don't want it, please." He blubbered out, moving from side to side as the woman kept shoving it at him.

"Take it!" she snapped, her eyes losing their pleasing allure. Her voice was getting more hollow than before and she was gritting her teeth as she shoved the paperweight at him again. He moved out of the way as hard as he could, sending him sprawling onto the floor as a loud crash filled his ears. As he scrambled to get up, he saw that the woman had shoved her entire arm through the door, her face writhing with hatred and anger.

She yanked her arm out just as quickly, the skin peeling away from her once creamy flesh. What he saw was black and spiky under what was once the woman's skin and the longer he stared, the more black spikes began to jut out of her body. The creamy skin and perfect clothing were evaporating from her body, her hair falling down in clumps along with her ruby lips and perfect face.

Stephen watched her until she was no longer a woman, but a black, stony monster covered with spikes, her hair now a nest of rocky spikes with eyes as white as death.

"Enough of this cutesy crap! Now you die for making me ruin my new body!!" she wailed, leaping at him feet first," Face the wrath of Onyx, human!"

Stephen leapt out of the way, then dove over the table as the monster tried to ram her spiky fists into his face. "This qualifies as life and death, Cyrus. This is where you check out, Onyx. **_Moon Sword, Transform!_**" Stephen shouted, groaning out in pain as the transformation took hold. 

Onyx moved back as the bright light surrounded the young man's body, shielding her irisless eyes from him. When the light was gone, the boy was dressed in silver armor and white clothing, his face and hair shielded away by silver mask and helmet.

"I am the Moon Knight, Onyx, and for the planet Earth, I will destroy you and the Dark Universe," he proclaimed, withdrawing his long, brilliant sword," Come and get it, lady."

"With pleasure, pretty boy. I'm going to rip your heart out for your insolence, human!" Onyx screamed, leaping high into the air. 

Moon Knight kept his sword in front of him, searching the darkness above him for the rock monster. He saw and heard nothing for what seemed like forever when suddenly thousands of snakes and rivulets of blood poured down upon him.

He gasped hard as his eyes met with the weakened faces of the five young people hanging from the darkness by what he thought were thick black vines. Upon closer inspection, he saw that they were large, writhing snakes, their fangs embedded deep into their victims' necks. 

"Oh Cyrus, get your fuzzy butt down here. This woman's totally whacko!" Stephen shouted, searching around wildly for his companion and the rock woman.

"Call out all the imaginary names you like, boy. I'll kill whatever you can throw at me, starting with you! RAH!!!!" Onyx roared

Onyx leapt out of the darkness, her razor sharp claws slashing down towards Stephen's heart. He deflected them with his sword, but the forced of her attack sent him back sprawling. 

"Ahh!! This is nuts, but I have to help those people! Suck sword, witch!" Stephen shouted, swing his sword at her as hard as he could. His lack of experience was telling on him as he did, and the rock woman took full advantage of it and beat down on him mercilessly.

Stephen fought her, deflecting the blows as best he could until one got through and cut his side. Stephen yelped out in pain as he doubled over onto the floor. "God no! When are these stinking powers supposed to kick in? Urk!" Stephen groaned, sucking in all his breath as the creature towered over him. 

"Praying to your feeble God, boy? He won't help you, no one will! You're dead!" Onyx shouted as she moved in for the kill.

As quickly as the rock woman moved, a silver sword pierced the darkness and cut off the creature's left hand.

"Argh! Who threw that!?" Onyx demanded, to enraged to notice that Stephen was already back on his feet. He grabbed both swords up and raised them over Onyx head, but as his eyes raised he saw who had thrown the other sword.

She was beautiful, with a gorgeous body that was perfectly slender and sleek, and had long raven black hair that shimmered even in the darkness she seemed to be perched in. She was dressed in a sexy black dress with black armored boots and chest armor as black as Onyx's own body. She also wore a mask the same color, her eyes hidden behind the dark shades. 

Stephen couldn't help himself as his jaw dropped at the site of her, his surprise attack ruined with a single word. "Beautiful!"

Onyx whipped around the moment the word left Stephen mouth, claws bared. Stephen leapt out of the way, slashing the woman in black's sword, catching Onyx in the face. 

"Use your Celestial Beam attack, Moon Knight! Focus your heart and mind on your sword and let the power of the Moon protect you. "the woman in black shouted.

"Focus? I….uh…ok, it beats being torn to shreds. Time for Plan B." Stephen shouted, halting dead in his tracks with Onyx still barreling down upon him.

"Please, please, please, let this work. It works on TV! Let it work now." Stephen mumbled, rushing right at Onyx with both swords.

He tossed the woman in black's sword right at Onyx, then got his other hand around his own sword before going into a tumble. The woman's sword hit the monster dead center in the chest, black blood oozing out from her torso as she staggered. Stephen kept tumbling until he zipped right between Onyx's legs.

"Focus Moon Knight, search your heart for the power and strike!" the woman in black shouted, leaping down from her perch to land a swift set of kicks into Onyx's body.

Stephen focused more on the woman's voice rather than his own heart, but then he felt a rich and warm feeling pulsing through his fingers, setting the sword aglow. His entire body was pulsing with energy after a few short moments, his mind aflame with power.

"**_Celestial Beam!!_** Come forth!!" Stephen shouted, raising his sword high above his head and swift slashed it at Onyx. A silver crescent of light ripped away from the metal and buried itself into Onyx's chest. The rock woman began screaming as more bursts of silver light began to shine out from within her body until finally she burst into atoms right before Stephen's eyes, leaving the woman in black's silver sword behind on the floor.

Stephen saw that the people above him were being lowered down to the floor, the snakes that held them slowly wasting away. "Yes, we did it! Thank you so much, miss….hey, where'd you go?" Stephen called, whipping his head around to find the mystery woman.

"Call me Lady Glamour, Moon Knight. I am your ally in the fight against the Dark Universe, " the woman said softly from high above, her sword back in her hand," Take heed, Moon Knight, more perils await you. I suggest that you stay alert. Farewell for now." As she finished, she leapt further up into the darkness, vanishing without a trace.

All Stephen could do was stare after her, even as the survivors of Onyx's terrors were waking up and thanking him. "I think I'm in love." He said dreamily.

"Oh hell, not now! You don't even know her!" It was Cyrus' voice, but Stephen was still staring up through his armored mask at the darkness, even as the walls began to fade, becoming the abandoned apartment building it had been for many years.

"What a woman!" He said at last, smiling up regardless of the surroundings.

"Oh bother. Stop daydreaming!" Cyrus yowled, trying to scratch through Stephen's armor.

"Who's daydreaming, Cyrus? That woman is such a fox and she's strong and smart to boot. My ally….a super model. Ahhhh." He breathed and blushed as he brought his hands to his cheeks.

"This is going to be a lot harder than I thought." Cyrus grumbled.


	2. Ch 2Vanity Insanity

Chapter 2 **__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the** "Sailor Moon" **series. This goes along the lines of the original series, but an alternate dimension. Trust me, eventually, my knight will meet the scouts. Patience is a virtue, so awaiting that moment won't be so bad. REVIEW!!

****

Chapter 2

__

Vanity Insanity

~ Haitsuchi's Arcade Heaven ~

"Now, do this problem, Stephen….Stephen? Hey, wake up!" Gary snapped, hitting Stephen's dazed looking head with his math book. 

"Huh? What was that for? Stephen yelped, rubbing his head gingerly.

"You're daydreaming again. You're never going to pass your classes if you keep drifting off into dreamland. What's up with you?" Gary said, in his usual throaty voice.

Stephen gave him a quizzical look, one he was used to giving him for the past three weeks. Alan's half-brother always sounded like he had a cold, always keeping it soft and low. It was like Gary was destined to have the "cold" voice for the rest of his life and didn't even mind it. He was into video games and karate as far as he knew from talking with Alan, but Stephen came to appreciate Gary's brain in getting him out of trouble with his faltering grades.

However, Stephen didn't concentrate on Gary for very long, his mind suddenly drifting back to the gorgeous form of Lady Glamour, the woman of his dreams. Ever since she'd come into his life, he couldn't think of anything else but her. Her grace, her voice, the beautiful body with perfect curves and the power she'd shown in saving Stephen's butt. 

'Everything I've ever wanted in a woman. Ah, I bet she has the most beautiful eyes too. I wonder who she really is?' he thought, drifting off again.

"Stephen!?" Gary growled out, slamming the book on Stephen's head again.

"Ow! Ok, enough hitting. I don't need this tutoring anyway." Stephen grumbled, rubbing his head as he grabbed up his pen. He looked the problem they were on for a second, writing the problem and answer down a few moments later.

Gary's mouth hung open after he checked it, shaking his head in disbelief. "For someone who says his math grades aren't up to par, you're doing pretty well. You haven't looked in the book once on how to do them. Even if this job will help me pay my rent with a more awake body, just what are you getting in these classes?" Gary asked.

"C's….but since you've been appreciating my parents money so much, and I'm happy my Dad of all people is doing a good deed, even if he doesn't know it….Do you think you can keep another secret? And promise you won't laugh?" Stephen said, nervously.

"Yeah….since I've become a local secret charity, and I am grateful to you, Stephen. Spill it." Gary sniffed, setting the book back down onto the card table.

"I'm faking it." Stephen said plainly, casually leaning over the book to look at another problem. The book lifted up just as quickly and slammed into his face. 

"Faking it? Faking your bad grades!? Why the heck would you want to do that, you meathead?" Gary hissed out.

Youch! Maybe laughing at me wouldn't be so bad. Can't you at least let me explain, Gary?" Stephen whined, grabbing his nose as the book fell from his face. 

"Better make it good. This I have to hear." Gary smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I forget on purpose to do some assignments and do problems and questions wrong in math and Spanish because of the teachers. They always say how wonderful I'm doing, but to the entire class. Do you know how embarrassing that is? Everyone knows that they should single out as the person who makes the rest of them look bad, that's why I'd always pay your brother visits after school so much. I'd get so caught up in trying to ignore people by daydreaming, I'd walk into fights, doors, other people….and sometimes people would get so annoyed that I was ignoring them and….well, they'd beat me up. I got sick of it, but this was the only thing I could come up with that wouldn't risk my life." Stephen explained, bracing for another impact with his textbook. 

He waited a few seconds before uncoiling, seeing his book still on the card table with Gary sitting perfectly still across from him. Suddenly, the other man smiled. "You really are a meathead. That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life….but if it keeps you alive, I suppose its good enough for me. Fine, I'll keep your secret….two secrets for the price of weekly lessons," Gary said softly, his voice almost a whisper," It makes me feel kind of shallow. You're using me to make yourself safe in and outside of your own home and me for using your lies to your school and parents to make my rent payments, but since neither of us seems to mind. I don't see any harm in it."

"Just so long as nobody but us knows about it, I see no harm. Might as well teach my Dad a lesson. He's never done a good deed in his life, even if he thinks putting food on the table and sending us to school are good deeds and Mom's too busy impressing her rich friends to know what a good deed is. Let's just leave it at that, huh Gary? And stop calling me a meathead." Stephen went on, but Gary shook his head with a lopsided grin. 

"No way, meathead, the name sticks. If I have to teach you things you already know, I get to call you meathead. It suits you….since only a meathead would think up that scheme." Gary chuckled, pushing the book forward.

"Ahhh, well, don't wear it out, Gary. Let's get on with my session so I can go home and let my cat out of my room." Stephen mumbled, scribbling down more numbers.

"You have a cat? Since when? Alan told me your parents hate anything with fur on it." Gary piped.

"Cyrus isn't very furry, more like velvet. Though I wouldn't want to give that beast any ideas that I think he's pretty neat. I'd rather not annoy my parents by making him yowl. Dad said I could keep him if I kept him in my room and paid for all his needs. I'm doing that very well, Cyrus is pretty easy to get along with….just so long as my bratty sister doesn't find him outside my room," Stephen grinned," Getting that deadbolt lock was the smartest thing I've ever done." 

Gary let out a hoarse laugh. "I'll bet. Cyrus….that name sounds a little familiar. Greek, right?

"I don't know….the sun or something. I just chose it at random from my literature class. The cat has this funny bald spot on its head that looks like a crescent moon, but all the moon related names were lame for males and most of them were for females. So, it seemed to suit him close enough, he's pretty bright in that sense. But enough about cats, time for homework." Stephen shrugged, scribbling away.

~

"Mom! Dad! I'm home, declare a holiday….good night." Stephen drawled out loudly as he entered his house, walking lazily towards the stairway. As always, his parents weren't at home. Stephen was used to them being gone throughout most of his childhood and early teens, their time suddenly important once Casey was born. 

Mother began doting on her to make her the perfect little angel and beauty, a carbon copy of their mother. Their father had been more than happy to spoil her rotten with toys and candy, just not attention, but material things were what Casey adored. 

Stephen had been spoiled too, but he never got to be with either parent very often. He was lucky if his mother had time between her dinner meetings to tuck him into bed at night.

He wished so much that they would pay attention to him by getting great grades, but all he got was a raise in his allowance or a game. Doing badly in school only got him negative and violent attention from his father as he'd found out weeks earlier, something his mother had no knowledge of, as if she had any knowledge of anything beyond her career and daughter.

Stephen brushed it off with a heavy sigh, walking up the stairs and set off briskly for his door. He unlocked it and quickly went inside, locking it again from within in his darkened room.

As he flipped his lights on, he heard Cyrus' voice. "If you were this talented at fighting, we'd be set."

"Cork it, hairball. I see you haven't even bothered to push open the window all day so that must mean the Dark Universe is up to nothing as usual?" Stephen said casually, slipping out of his sneakers before plopping on his bed beside the frazzle black cat. 

"Actually I'm more concerned with your mother. The air about her is changing….drastically. She's grown quite cold. I heard her come home early today screaming about your little sister using all of her special beauty products." Cyrus piped.

"So, my mother likes to look pretty. She has yelled at Casey before about trying on her make-up and mixing crappy potions with all of her shampoos and mud masks. Little brat had it coming." Stephen droned.

"Has she ever threatened to rip out her intestines, boil them and shove them down the child's throat? How about shaving her head and tearing out her fingernails with tweezers? Hmm?" Cyrus said knowingly. Stephen propped himself up on his elbows at that, staring at Cyrus curiously. "She really said that?"

Cyrus nodded and closed his small black eyes gently. "The woman was positively irate. She screamed bloody murder all the way out the door. When she came back she went into the bathroom and stayed in there for three hours. From the time I've spent in your house, it was the first time I ever heard her spend more than half an hour in this house at all."

"That is weird. You're right about one thing. My Mom never stays in the house unless she's coming home to sleep for the next morning of work, just like Dad does. And I know for a fact she's never ever threatened Casey with anything more than no sweets or TV for doing her silly potion crap in the bathroom. Not even with P.M.S., Mom pretty much acts like she's shooing flies when she ever gets the time to punish us," Stephen said quietly, then eyed his cat suspiciously," What are you thinking?"

"I think the Dark Universe might be involved. Your radio is chock full of advertisements for a new bath and beauty shop that opened downtown. I've heard the commercial so often that I know the name by heart. Its called Black Velvet Beauty Works, a block or so past Alan's arcade center, I believe." Cyrus explained.

"Well, if you're right, then we have to investigate. Boy, the Dark Universe is real lazy. All that energy draining power at their fingertips and they waste it on silly parlor tricks." He grumbled.

"Onyx wasn't much a parlor trick, was she?" Cyrus hissed out, looking annoyed at him. 

"No, she was a major creep. I guess looking so freaky would kind'a make them stand out. Still, if they could make an abandoned warehouse look like fancy tutoring center, why can't they make themselves invisible? Heck, why won't you tell me more about them? If there's one thing I remember from my old karate classes is to know my opponent and I still don't fully know what I am dealing with other than an evil universe. How many planets do they own to be able to be call a universe anyway?" Stephen demanded.

Cyrus shook his tiny head and laid his body down. "They do use energy when they are making these illusions, but illusions on inanimate or living objects don't use up any of their energy. Healing themselves and hiding their true forms tax their powers since they worship a dark power. Only the light of the good, the Galaxy Knights, can destroy their dark powers, as you have done. You tax your own strength when you fight, your energy is as finite on yourself as theirs is on themselves, but….you recharge once you become as you are in daily life because you never surrendered your souls as the inhabitants of the Dark Universe did. They kill to survive like vampires, but the planets keep your energy alive, innocently, not wickedly. Do you understand that?" 

"I'm good, so I don't have to kill for energy. They're all evil, so they steal energy from others to build up their powers and survive. Light and darkness, good and evil, I get it….what I want to know is who's behind it all. You do remember that, don't you? Otherwise you wouldn't have reawakened the Moon Knight in me, right?" Stephen asked, getting a curt nod from Cyrus.

"The ruler of the Dark Universe, which is only called that because their leader is a pompous tyrant, is Lord Specter. He was a common preacher of Earth who lived 10,000 ago as best I can recall. A cultist leader would be a far better word. He worshiped a Dark Goddess, the true leader of the entire Dark Universe, and preached war and hatred to the weak minded. This helped him gain an army of followers," Cyrus explained, looking sorrowful about it," The goddess finally came down to help him take over Earth, but the king of the moon and queen of the earth fought her as teenagers and destroyed her body with the Soul Crystal. It was and still is the ultimate source of power in the entire galaxy. Sadly, The Dark Goddess' essence escaped and reached Specter and helped him turn many of his followers into monsters, Onyx for instance….and that is all I can remember. Specter reigns supreme over the monsters he calls the members of the Dark Universe, and he sends them to gain energy for his goals, to rule the universe of light. Your universe, Stephen."

"Heavy," Stephen uttered, his eyes growing wider upon every word," Sounds like a sick evangelist gone mad ten times over. Will I ever have to face him?"

"Probably, but hopefully when that glorious battle occurs, you won't be alone. For now, let us focus on this beauty shop. Tomorrow come home and hide your mother's beauty things and when she tries to go out for them, you volunteer to get them for her. She sounded very frantic about your sister ruining her products today, she won't be thinking properly enough to think that you're up to something." Cyrus explained.

"If there is anything to this beauty boutique craze, that is. If it turns out to be another silly old woman thing my Mom's into, your butt and my foot have an appointment." Stephen yawned out as he stretched his arms.

"Don't threaten me, boy. I'm a lot faster than I look. You miss by an inch and my claws are going to make you very sorry." Cyrus sniffed.

"I heal fast now, Cyrus. You have yourself to thank for that. Now if you don't mind, I'd like a little shut-eye. If I'm going to get any monster hunting done tomorrow, I need to survive the dreaded teachers of the Takozona Junior High. Nothing's worse than being on their bad side. Even if the world is at stake, my grades are more essential to staying alive." Stephen drawled out, yawning.

"Says you. Just be ready for a long day tomorrow….and if you value your grades as much as your friendship with the Haitsuchi****boys, you'd best be quick to discover if we are dealing with the Dark Universe." Cyrus said, getting a slight nod from Stephen as he crawled up to his pillow. The youth pulled his shirt off and threw it at the light switch and the room went black. "I do, I do, stop being such a worry wart, Cyrus." Stephen yawned, drifting to sleep a few moments later.

**_~ Meanwhile ~_**

-The Realm of the Dark Universe -

Dark caverns lit with torches surrounded the man dressed in black armor. He sat on a throne of black stone carved out to look like a screaming and demonic skull. The man had long black hair and wicked looking purple eyes, his face as pale as a ghost with an emotionless look covering his features. His head was topped with a silver crown decked in ebony pearls. He lifted his head a moment as footsteps sounded within the cavern, frowning a little as the figure came into view.

"Viper….you're late with your report. How goes your search for the Earth Princess?" the man asked.

The other man was younger than the crowned one, and bowed slightly towards him. His hair was green and shimmering like an emerald with eyes of pure blood, his face thin and young. He was dressed in all green, but the clothing was more like the scales of a snake, fitting extra tight around his sleek body.

"No, Lord Specter, I have not found her yet. Her aura has not yet awakened, according to the Dark Goddess, so I doubt I will locate her until this woman awakens. Sadly, that is not why I have come here. We might have a slight problem with the energy siphoning missions." Viper said, Specter looking down at him with distaste.

"Now what, after the tutoring center was destroyed with precious Onyx, you haven't really been around. Have you found out what caused Onyx's destruction?" Specter asked.

"Not yet, sir, but we did get a lot of energy from that project. We could have gotten more, this much is true, but whoever killed Onyx must have been very strong. She was very reliable and strong…." Viper was saying, but Specter slammed his fist upon his throne suddenly.

"No excuses. We'll put the princess search on hold for now, concentrate on the energy missions. We must resurrect the dark goddess as soon as possible. Then, and only then will the princess and those that oppose us will be in our clutches. That is all, Viper, get back to your current assignment, as nauseating as this mission is, so many stupid human females are terribly vain." Specter ordered, and viper nodded with another slight bow. 

"Yes, my lord. They are so easily enticed to buy the latest thing to make them beautiful and young looking. To be perfect is their greatest flaw, humans will never be as perfect as the Dark Universe. Very well then, sir, I will return with the latest batch of young energy for our dark goddess. May the darkness live on." Viper said, then vanished.

"You'd better hope so, young Viper. I don't want you wasting any of my precious time. I can let your sisters and teacher do it instead if you don't deliver a lot more very soon," Specter grated out," Whoever destroyed Onyx will pay nonetheless. No one challenges the Dark Universe and lives!"

**_~ Next Day ~_**

~ The Tsukikage Household ~

"OH MY GOD!!!! My beauty products!! Someone's stolen my beauty products!!!! Help!!" Stephen's mother was screaming hysterically as Stephen walked into the house.

Mom? What's wrong? Have we been robbed? Your jewelry? Money? What so valuable that they took?" Stephen shouted, pretending to be shocked. Stephen had to admit she was overreacting about products he'd never seen in the bathroom before now, all in black bottles and smelling as sweet and fragrant as any other supermarket brand. His mother was acting like the car had been stolen or her wallet had been pilfered. 

"My beauty products, you moron! Some miserable thief stole them all, I need them or I won't be beautiful anymore. Oh God, my beautiful face will crack now! Ahh! Why can't you be more sympathetic?" she screamed as he raced up the stairs to her.

She was beating her hands furiously on the bathroom tiles when he reach her, tears staining her face mixed with mascara.

"Why that's terrible, Mom. Hey, don't cry, I'll go get you some more if you want." Stephen offered, sounding as consoling as he could without laughing about the whole situation.

His mother perked up at his words, smiling a little. "Wonderful. Oh, you always were a good boy, Stephen. Just let me get my purse so you'll have plenty of money to buy me my things…Oh, and you'll need a list too. Stay right there." She chirped, the angry and tear vanishing all together as she ran out of the bathroom.

Stephen quickly ran out towards his room to let Cyrus out, grabbing the cat up off his bed by its neck before rushing back out. He locked his door and went back to the bathroom, situating Cyrus in his arms as he caught his breath. "Did it work?" Cyrus asked.

"Yeah, man, last time she this energetic about something, cheesecake came out in miniature snack packs. Jeez, she's never been so energetic about anything since then. Either she's getting senile real fast or something really is up." Stephen gasped, biting the side of his mouth as he mother raced back into the bathroom, jamming a wad of cash and sheet of paper into his face.

Stephen took them happily and put them into his pants pocket, moving past his mother swiftly. "Hurry home with my things, honey, or you're grounded!" His mother shouted at his back as she gave him a hard shove towards the stairs.

"All right, I'm going. I swear I'll be back." Stephen grumbled, quickening his pace even as he got out of the house and onto the driveway. He started running as he reached the sidewalk.

**_~ Black Velvet Beauty Works ~_**

"This place is a mad house. "Stephen yelped as he stepped into the seemingly quaint little shop. It was wall to wall women, young and old, grabbing products off the wall in a venomous looking shopping frenzy. Several women were beating each other up to get possession of some of the products while others screamed at each other. The men with them look almost as feverish as the women did, other just milling about with lists or staring in shock at their dates and wives.

The walls looked perfectly stocked, but the women didn't seem to notice it or that Stephen was even there holding a pet. He walked past the screaming masses with wide and puzzled eyes all the way to the counter, bumping into it hard. He cursed himself silently for misjudging the distance between the door and the counter instead of staring at a bunch of crazy women.

"May I help you, sir?" said a voice, as cool as ice. Stephen felt a knot of ice form in his stomach as he heard it, a slow and deliberate chill running up his spine.

He turned around to see a blonde young man in a green shirt and black jeans standing behind the counter. He had a nametag pinned just above his shirt pocket that said "Victor" and had the reddest eyes Stephen had ever seen. The young man was looking at him strangely as well then to his cat and back.

"Don't I know you?" he asked, the chill in his voice enough to make Stephen's blood freeze solid in his veins. Stephen shook his head, patting Cyrus' head absentmindedly. "No, now that I think of it….no, sorry. Does it ever calm down here?" Stephen asked, trying to keep his voice casual.

The other young man shrugged, giving off a slight smile. "Nope, and if this keeps me in business, I don't really care. Now, may I help you?" he said.

"No, I have a list. Thanks anyway….Victor." Stephen uttered, turning his back to the counter and venturing into the sea of screaming females.

Stephen dropped Cyrus to the floor as a woman grabbed the back of his head and pulled at his hair. "Ow! Cyrus, go look around. Make it quick, this frenzy is getting worse." Stephen grumbled, shoving the woman onto her rump for her action. Cyrus quickly nodded and ran off through the legs of the women still fighting.

The cat wove through as best it could, but its tail kept suffering from sharp high heals and heavy sneakers landing on it hard at nearly ever small step.

Cyrus finally reached the counter where Victor had been standing, but he wasn't there anymore. The cat sniffed the air, his hair standing on end as the air went cold about him. He looked around the back of the counter, finding nothing but dusts and insects crawling about it. 

He turned about a little to come face to face with a door, opened just crack. Cyrus pushed his head in and sniffed again, turning his nose up at a horrible stench that came from inside. Then he heard voices, soft and whispered, and it compelled him to enter all the way to hear better.

As Cyrus went further in, he heard the voice of the store's owner Victor loud and clear, laughing. "The latest herd of cattle has arrived, Greese, my darling. Time for you to go and get Specter's latest haul of human life force. Suck every last drop from their miserable bodies. Kill anything that gets in the way of Specter's rule."

"Yes, Prince Viper, as you wish." Said a terribly bubbly voice, female, but hideous. 

'Dark Universe! I knew it! I have to warn Stephen!' Cyrus' mind screamed, his tiny body shooting back towards the door, Greese and Viper's wicked laughter nipping at his rear. 

He slipped back into the store to see Stephen was pressed into corner, trying to keep his wallet away from their greedy fingers.

Cyrus heard the laughter from behind the door getting louder, his face going desperate as he looked back at Stephen. "Moon Knight! Get down! They're coming!" Cyrus shouted at last, not getting a single reaction from any of the women, but Stephen quickly vanished as he forced his body down beneath them.

As the women tried to all dive for him at once, the door behind the counter burst open to reveal an creature made of amber oil, it body female and dripping thick drops from its viscous body. 

Cyrus leapt to the floor as it floated over the counter and above the screaming women. "Delicious souls, give yourselves to the Dark Universe, you vain witches. Succumb to the power of Greese." The oil woman bubbled out, then slimy amber tentacles shot out of her front and entangled all of the women. 

Stephen was hidden beneath them as he watched in horror as the slimy floating woman drained their energy and dropped body after body upon him, each one was as cold and clammy as the one before it.

'This is insanity!' his mind screamed as he pulled his sword pendant out from under his shirt and shouted out," **_Moon Sword, Transform!_** Arghhh!!"

Stephen leapt up in his Moon Knight from as soon as the transformation took hold and thrust his sword up at the sticky creature. Moon Knight and his blade went right through her, but it was done with enough force to cause the creature to let go of the struggling women.

"Run now! She'll kill you! RUN!" he shouted, taking another hard swipe at her. The women and their men obeyed him quickly, scrambling like drowning rats to get out of the shop. They knocked down bottles of beauty products and perfume in their frantic retreat.

"Moon Knight, huh? Fancy weapons and costumes are no match for the Dark Universe. No mortal weapon can harm me, boy, I'm living oil! I am Greese!" she cackled.

"Yeah, yeah, and oil burns out with heat. Just you wait, I'll send you packing just like I did with Onyx." Moon Knight yelled, slashing his sword at her more and throwing bottles of the beauty products at her. 

"Onyx? You….killed Onyx?" said a chilly voice, almost laughing at him. Stephen leapt out the path of Greese's attacks as she began to fling her slimy oil tentacles at him. They smashed into display cases and shelves instead of Moon Knight as he kept dodging them swiftly.

He looked back towards the voice to see Victor standing on the counter, all dressed in green, snakeskin looking clothing, a vest, boots, and pants. His eyes were like pools of boiling blood and his smile was utterly evil. His hair was green now.

"What the hell? Jeez!" Moon Knight yelped, leaping away from another barrage of tentacles.

"I am Prince Viper of the Dark Universe, you pitiful human! How dare you fight us when it is totally useless. Greese, destroy him now!" Viper commanded, his body glowing bright red as he finished.

Moon Knight took another swipe at Greese, but it never hit its mark. As he made he way to strike at her, he slipped on a puddle of shampoo in front of him, sending him crashing to the floor. He was lifted up a second later by several of Greese's tentacles, all squeezing him at once with frightening strength.

"Arghhhh!!" Moon Knight shouted, his sword falling away from his hand as Greese tightened her grip even more.

"Excellent, my dear, now finish the job! Steal his energy!" Viper shouted, grinning wickedly.

"As you wish, Prince Viper." She bubbled out.

Greese's tentacles began to shimmer and Moon Knight could feel his energy being taken, feeling his strength failing him.

He kept struggling against Greese, looking desperately at his sword. 'I can't escape without the Celestial Beam…. it's the only way to beat her. I have to get free….' He thought, kicking his legs about wildly and flexing his arms.

Then he heard Grease cry out in pain, her grip falling away from him suddenly until at last he couldn't feel her horrid grip any longer.

Moon Knight's feet were back on the ground, as slippery as it was now, but all he cared about was that he was free. He quickly grabbed his sword up and got himself up for the killing blow, but he stopped as he saw who had caused Greese to let go.

"Lady Glamour! Its you!" he said happily.

The beautiful black-clad warrior gave him a quick smile as she ripped her own sword through Greese, causing the creature more pain than his own sword had. 

Greese was fighting back and getting dangerously close to hitting Glamour. "Lady Glamour, let me help you!" Stephen shouted, rushing to the woman's side to slam his sword through a few tentacles closing in on her.

"Yes, we must combine our strengths to defeat this foul creature. I will weaken her for you, just get yourself focused now." Glamour stated, beating back another barrage of slick tentacles. She swiftly forced Greese back with her smooth and fluid sword trusts, the creature leaping back to the counter. Moon Knight could see that Viper was gone now, Greese taking his place on the counter as her slime dribbled down the sides.

Lady Glamour raised her sword up high suddenly, the glimmer of the diamond like texture glistening in the light. "We will send you back to the hell that spawned you! **_Crystal Cutter_**!!" she shouted, aiming her sword directly at Greese. A swarm of diamond-like shards flew from his, ramming into Greese's body and exploding into balls of white-hot light upon impact.

"Now Moon Knight! Do it!" she shouted, ducking down as Greese's wailing got louder.

"You've got it, pretty lady. **_Celestial Beam!_** Annihilate her!!" Moon Knight shouted, slashing the deadly light from within his sword at Greese's chest.

The light infected her rapidly, her oily skin going aflame instantly, her screams shattering the windows outward as she became a living fireball. 

Moon Knight watched happily as she smoldered into a pile of ashes upon the counter, silent at last. He was even happier when he saw that Lady Glamour was still present.

"Lady Glamour, are you all right?" he asked stupidly, touching her shoulder gently. She stood up as soon as his hand set down upon her shoulder, turning to look at him. "I am fine, just catching my breath. You did well, Moon Knight, but it will take more than just your and my attacks to stop the Dark Universe. I suggest you find the other knights soon. We will need all the help we can get." She said, her as smooth and beautiful as she was.

Moon Knight just nodded dumbly, smiling at her widely. "Anything to ensure your safety, Lady Glamour. I'll take on the whole Dark Universe for you." He said sheepishly, getting a slight smile from her.

"Yes, Moon Knight. We must all have faith in each other. Farewell." She uttered, leaping over his head in flash. He turned about to say good-bye, but his smile was shattered when he saw she had already vanished.

"What a woman." He uttered, suddenly grinning again. He stopped when heard a noise behind him, swiftly spinning about with his sword raised. He lowered it when the form of a battered man leaning on the counter, his hands balls up in bruised fists.

"Who are you?" Moon Knight asked.

"I own this store, my name is Victor Beretti….is she gone?" the man coughed.

"If you mean that gelatinous monster, she's all over your counter….dead." he told the man. The man gave off a weak smile. 

"Yes, that's the one. She killed my wife when she tried to stop that monster from taking it over….Emma, my dearest Emma never stood a chance." Victor wept.

"I'm sorry for your loss, sir. The people that sent that thing will pay dearly for all the murders they have committed. The Moon Knight promises you that," Moon Knight told him, hearing a familiar yowl ring in his ears," I have to go now. I have other evil beasts to hunt down. I will make deathly sure that those fiends don't hurt anyone else."

"I pray you do, young man. Thank you for saving my customers and myself at least. Oh, and here." The man said, holding out one of his frail hands to the knight. Moon knight saw it was a pair of earrings shaped like red roses in the man's hand, sparkling lightly in what remained of the store's lights.

"For me? What are you implying?" Moon Knight said crossly.

"No, no, you misunderstand. They're for your lady friend….the woman in black I saw you talking with. I bought them for my wife for our anniversary, but now….well, I'd like you to be able to give them to your lady friend, for saving my life." The man said, chuckling at the young man.

The young knight blushed a bit as he took them from the man's hand, then his eyes wandered to the clock behind the man's head. "Oh my God, its nearly six! I'm going to be late!" the knight shouted, and bolted quickly out of the store.

~

Stephen quickly found an alley on the way to Alan's arcade center and became himself again. He ran the rest of the way to the arcade, his lungs ready to burst as he stumbled into the place, right smack into Gary. They both landed hard on the floor, yelping in pain as they hit.

"Watch it! Oh God! Gary! I'm so sorry I'm late, my Mom sent me out to get some things for her and I lost track of time." Stephen blubbered out as he quickly got off of his flustered tutor. Gary shook it off with a shrug. 

"To tell you the truth, I just got here myself, meathead. Classes ran a little late, you know. Senior High school is rough on your schedule." Gary admitted, getting to his feet slowly. He helped Stephen up quickly and both of them began walking walked to the back room, but Gary stopped when they were halfway there. 

"I was thinking, since you're faking this whole bad grade thing….that you could help me and Alan with the arcade tonight, just for a change of pace. I don't what it is, but I really just can't think straight tonight." Gary added.

"Yeah, me too. Sounds fine to me, Gary….I'd rather look at food and tokens than schoolwork right now. I'll finish my homework where it was meant to done, at home. You wouldn't believe the day I've had." Stephen breathed, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Neither would you, so let's just leave it at that and help my brother." Gary coughed, walking back to the arcade.

'I would, who could possibly top fighting an oil monster from an evil universe? Not like I can tell him, I'd blow my secret identity. I have better things to think about than that though, like finding these other knights. I hope I find them soon cause if Glamour's right, this battle is about to get a whole lot more complicated.' He thought, following Gary to a smiling Alan.


	3. Ch 3Mercury Rising

Chapter 3 **__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the** "Sailor Moon" **series. This goes along the lines of the original series, but an alternate dimension. Trust me, eventually, my knight will meet the scouts. Patience is a virtue, so awaiting that moment won't be so bad. REVIEW!!

****

Chapter 3

**_ Mercury Rising_**

**_~ The Dark Universe ~_**

"Moron! Onyx and Greese are dead….yet they were killed by a little boy!!!??? Are you telling me a child defeated your warriors, Viper!? A little boy?!" Specter shouted, his thin hands wrapping tightly about Viper's neck. Viper wasn't fighting back, but his face was starting to turn blue and his nose had begun to bleed.

"There was a woman with him….He called himself the Moon Knight and she….was Lady Glamour….Their powers are very similar to ours….but I can destroy them….I can, ack, the woman can't always be protecting him. He wouldn't have won without her….I swear! Have mercy!" Viper choked out, his face going purple.

Specter growled at him and threw his body upon the dark floor. "You'll see no mercy from me if you can't handle two humans. You're a dark prince, for pity's sake! Act like it. If this boy is young, he must go to a school in the area. That's what you must attack, go to where he's accustomed too….attack his age group, they are full of ripe energy. Nothing but youth now….murder, emotion drains, dismemberment….make him feel helpless. Do it or die, Viper, don't you make failure a habit!" Specter raged," Now get out of my sight! OUT!"

Viper didn't bother to bow, vanishing away from his lord's presence in a swirl of hissing snakes. 

"Trouble, my lord?" said a deep female voice.

Specter raised his head slightly towards the voice, seeing a woman dressed in a black leather outfit, a cape of large black feathers draped over her ivory shoulders. 

"Raven, how unpleasant of you to come down from your perch to annoy me. Yes, there is trouble, and Viper had best terminate it or he'll suffer more than a bruised throat." Specter hissed as the slender woman approached him.

Specter gave a slight smile towards her, moving his eyes up and down her approvingly. Raven was his most beautiful dark royal, but her tastes were a little too demeaning for him. She had jet-black hair to match her eyes and lipstick, the tight leather bodice and pants showing off every perfect curve she had to offer. She wore metal spike boots that were as sharp as razors, her fingers tipped with metallic nails to maim her victims with ease.

She was also the most insane member of the Royal Dark Universe family, her heart as black as her clothing. "He's the middle child, you should have sent me in, youth has its advantages, my lord." She cooed, running her fingers across his leg.

"That it does, but I don't remember saying you could go to Earth….you'll be the first to hear about Viper's failure if it occurs. He's done the best of all of you so far, the Dark Goddess is getting stronger with every life he takes. Don't you dare imply I made a bad judgement in letting him take on Earth first." He snarled, shoving her wandering hand away.

"I live you serve, my lord. Just letting you know I'm willing to start my missions as soon as possible. Some things just need a woman's touch. I can certainly handle a little boy…..in my own special way. I might even persuade him to join up….call it a gift." She murmured, walking into the darkness very slowly, smiling all the way.

"We shall see….I'll decide whether to call its a gift….or folly." He muttered, leaning back in his throne gently.

'Beware, Moon Knight, we're coming for you, boy.' he thought wickedly, a grim smile forming on his lips.

_~ 3 Days Later ~_

****

-Takozona Junior High -

"Honestly, are you going to avoid this again? We have to find the other knight, Stephen. YOW! Not the face!" Cyrus wailed, getting smack on the nose from Stephen knuckles.

"Quiet, hairball. If the other students hear you talking, they'll slap you on one of the lab tables and dissect you….kitty cutlets don't sound too appealing, do they? People are already jumpy enough since those three girls disappeared yesterday, if I act crazy, they might suspect me." Stephen grumbled, shifting uncomfortably in his gray school uniform as people stared at him hitting his cat.

"Fine," Cyrus whispered," What do you suggest, oh glorious master?"

"Hold your tongue, kitty cat. We can talk at home. I'm already a nerd in everyone's eyes, nutcase doesn't need to be added to that list. Stifle yourself until we get through the day. You're only near me cause its lunch time." Stephen shushed, dropping the cat onto the ground. Cyrus landed neatly on all fours, keeping a few steps behind Stephen as the young man walked off towards the school courtyard. 

As Cyrus got a little closer, he noticed that Stephen's eyes were glazed over, a slight smile forming on his lips. 'Oh bother, he's thinking about that Glamour woman again. I swear, we'll never find the other knights if he keeps fantasizing about her.' Cyrus thought angrily, lowering his head down as Stephen let out a content sigh.

'Dear Lord, why does the fate of world have rest in the hands of a teenager who sleeps with his eyes open? I swear, I think I'm being punished. Why can't he focus? Not only are girls in this school vanishing, they are doing the same in other schools, and all the great hero can do is think about getting close to that mysterious Lady Glamour. She could be a member of the Dark Universe, trying to sucker him into a trap. All he thinks about is that woman….when is he going to wake up and accept his responsibilities?" Cyrus thought crossly,' Oh Cyrus, its like expecting testosterone to forbid sex in a body. Teenagers…. why did it have to be a teenager? I hope the next knight is a little more focused than Mr. Sandman here.' 

Stephen continued on as if his ears had suddenly stopped working, a dreamy smile plastered across his pale lips. His mind was locked in a wonderful daydream, one that no one could break him out of.

He saw himself standing in a moonlit park, grass blades the color of emerald beneath his shoes as he walked off towards a shimmering lake. There was a woman standing there in a long black dress with long, raven-black hair. She turned around a bit, her masked eyes glistening like pearls.

"Oh Moon Knight, you came at last." Her honeyed voice playing upon his ears like fine music. He smiled at her standing beside her with ease and slipping one arm about her sleek waist. "I'm so happy you waited, Glamour. I've waited so long to tell you how much I love you. And to give you these…." He told her, holding out his free hand before her, opening it to reveal two rose earrings sparkling in his palm.

Her face brightened up, her hand taking his suddenly. He delighted in the warm, soft feeling her skin had upon his, the tiny pinpricks of the earrings barely making him flinch as they poked at him. "You are so wonderful, Moon Knight. No one has ever been so thoughtful to me as you are. I love you." She said sweetly, moving her face closer to his.

He leaned his face towards hers, his body quivering with delight as he felt her breath upon his lips. 'Yes, yes, yes!!' his mind screamed with delight.

The kiss didn't feel as he imagined it would. It was more like being socked in the face. He blinked a moment, the daydream fading away, and Glamour's beautiful image going with it. When he felt a another punch crack into his face, his vision of reality finally came back, yelping as he saw a fist ramming into his face.

Stephen staggered backwards, the sounds of students cheering and booing, his body feeling the pelting of cups and spitballs hitting him. Then he looked towards where the punches came from and saw a very handsome student, his teeth grated into a tight, smiling sneer. Stephen felt like he'd been slugged in the gut when he saw that the pretty boy wasn't fighting him, but rather another student, a female student. 

Once he saw the long, purple hair, amber skin, and blue eyes decked about the face of the young woman, her school uniform blow hard in the breeze as she bore her fists up, he knew he was in deep trouble. It was the tanned terror of Takozona Junior High, the brutal beauty Angela Furosuto*. He hadn't really known much about her until one of the guys in their gym class groped her and she beat the stuffing out of him. She made a proclamation that day before the gym teacher took her to the principal's office. 

"_If any of you primitive screw-heads ever touches me again, you be ready for a fight. I'll only date the guy that can beat me in a fight, I don't date weak losers like that poor slob._" She had screamed, but Stephen hadn't given it much thought. He hadn't been paying attention in gym class that day either, and he had the dodge-ball bruises to prove it when he got home.

'Great, the maniac is in another fight….and I walked right into it. Alan's never going to believe this.' Stephen thought, ducking as Angela started to throw punches at him along with the pretty boy behind him.

"How dare you gang up on me, you creeps! Suck fist, angel face." She screamed, her voice filled with rage. Stephen got caught in the shoulder as he tired to dodge the attack, panic setting into his face as he whipped around and saw the pretty boy taking aim.

Stephen threw out his own fist, but missed and started gasping for air as the pretty boy slugged him in the stomach as hard as he could. "I am trying to court this powerful young lady. You're ruining all the fun, shrimp! Go back to pre-school and fight with your own strength size!" the pretty boy glowered, his short blonde hair glistening like pure gold in the afternoon sun, blue eyes full of hate.

Stephen didn't want to take another hit and he knew if he did, both fighters would be all over him. He looked up to see the pretty boy raising both his fists up high to bring them down into Stephen's spine and the young man knew he had to act now. In a flash, Stephen rammed him head into the guy's stomach. As Stephen straightened up his own body, the pretty boy double over, yowling in pain. For a moment, all Stephen could do was stare at the young student, then back at a shocked Angela, whose fists were still raised.

"I'm going to eat you alive, you worthless tick. "the young man said suddenly, and Stephen shook his head, kicking the pretty boy in the face as hard as he could. The pretty boy's head snapped backwards with the rest of his body, crumpling to the ground as blood leaked out of his mouth. 

"My mind may wander and maybe this wasn't my fight, but you made it that way. Sweet dreams." Stephen hissed, starting to turn away.

He never got to take a step, feeling Angela tackle him into the pavement, getting him in a tight headlock. "That was my fight and you ruined it, you dork! Now I'm going to have teach you a lesson!" she hollered as she jammed her heels into the backs of his legs.

"For the love of God, get off me you crazy witch! I don't want to fight you! Get off, you maniac!!" Stephen roared, biting Angel's slender finger in desperation. She shrieked, but the hands went right back in place, clawing at him. 

'I'm in a cat-fight….God, this is so damn stupid! What does she think we're doing, fighting over that guy!? She's insane!' his minded yelped. He start reaching back, trying to punch at her but he couldn't find his mark since she was right on top of him. His fists just kept hitting dead air.

Stephen squirmed underneath her, gasping harshly with every scratch and hit the girl was plastering on him. The students around them were no help and he couldn't see any teachers around to break them up. 

'What are you thinking? If the teachers see me in another fight and they'll call my parents….I don't need to be told to watch where I'm going or the fight speech to bore me to death tonight. I have to subdue her or I'm toast.' He thought, pushing up with all his might to get her off.

To his surprise, she jumped off of him screaming. He took it as a sign and quickly leapt to his feet, a smile forming on his lips as he saw what was causing Angela so much grief. 

"Cyrus! Good kitty, for once!" he whispered, close to laughing as he saw the black cat holding on for dear life on the screaming girl's ankle by his teeth. Her skin was bleeding gently about the cat's mouth, the poor girl desperately trying to kick it off.

Stephen charged at her a few seconds later, knocking her flat on her back. He didn't strike at her, merely pinning her down on the ground and glaring at her. A meow sounded a ways off, and he guessed that Cyrus had finally let go. 

"Lay off, you maniac. I said I didn't want to fight you, don't you make me want to. Just leave me alone, Angie, leave me the hell alone or I'll kick your brute butt so hard, you're children will be born bruised." He seethed, tightening his grip on her shoulders until she gave him a curt nod. 

He rolled off her slowly, then started to walk away. "Nobody treats me like this and just walks away!" he heard her grumble, the shuffling of her heels touching down on the pavement. 

'She never learns, does she?' he thought, dropping down into a crouch as Angela's fist whizzed over his head.

"That tears it!" Stephen growled and shoved his elbow back hard into Angela's slim stomach, delighting in the 'woofing' noise she made as the blow made contact. He watched her fall back over, holding her stomach. As he got up, she looked up at him in pain. 

"I declare this fight officially over. Thank you very much, but it's over. I have a class to get to." Stephen announced, walking towards the crowd of shocked students. They opened a pathway for him, staring at him in disbelief as he walked back towards the school.

By the time he got inside, Cyrus had caught up with him, a bright smile on his furry face. "Where did you learn how to fight all of a sudden, kid?" the cat asked quietly.

Stephen rubbed his sore elbow a moment, looking down the empty halls instead of his feline friend. "I don't know, she just got me so angry, the arrogance of her. I just snapped….but, my body just did it on its own, like I've done it before. It was a creepy feeling." Stephen drawled out, picking up the cat absentmindedly.

"You're just remembering your old life….just like that girl was." The cat said.

Stephen finally looked at Cyrus, his eyes wide with shock. "What do you mean just like her?"

"Silly boy, I didn't bite her just to save your hash. I bit her because she had a powerful aura about her. Just like I saw in you when I was following you around. If you'd bothered to pay attention to other things than your daydreams, though it helped us find her, you would have noticed that her wound had completely healed. Exactly likes yours." The cat chirped out knowingly

"What? Are you saying that lunatic is a Galaxy Knight!?" he yelped, but silenced himself as the halls started to fill with students. 

"We'll follow her after school. We can discuss the matter further then. See you later….oh, and try not to drift off again. You might get more than a few punches." Cyrus whispered, leaping briskly out of Stephen's arms and trotting down the hall.

****

~

Stephen wasted no time in getting out of the school as fast as he could, grabbing what he needed for homework out of his locker before his last class and stepping on as many toes as he could to get out first. He waited behind a tree for Angela's tanned face and purple hair to come into view. 

He wasn't surprised by his rotten luck that she was the last person to come out. He didn't see the pretty boy, another person he wanted to avoid and was glad Cyrus hadn't bitten him too. 'There are a lot worse people to have as allies than her, I don't need her male double joining up too.' He thought, watching the young woman walk out alone. She was swiveling her head around a bit, as if searching for something.

'I didn't hit her that hard, so it can't be me she's looking for. Maybe that pretty boy tried to cop a feel on her again. She might not be as tough as I thought she was.' He thought, keeping his eyes on her still. She wasn't moving, looking around with eyes full of curiosity, not fear. After several minutes passed by, Angela walked right back into the school without so much as a glance back.

"Dammit! Why did she do that? And where the heck is Cyrus, he said he'd be waiting outside for me." Stephen grumbled, but didn't move from where he stood.

After an hour waiting, Stephen was growing terribly impatient. "What is she doing in there? Trying to raid everyone's lockers? That's it, I can't stand this, if she's not coming out, I'm going in. I have to use a payphone anyone to tell Gary I'm going to be late for my session. I hate to do this to the guy, but if this girl is a knight like me, the fate of the world depends on me getting her to wake up.Damn, this better be worth it." 

Stephen ran for the school, grumbling as the sky began to go orange. "Almost sunset? God, Gary's going to kill me. God!" Stephen shouted, rushing inside the school as fast as he could," Angela! Angela Furosuto! Where the hell are you?"

He grumbled once more when he got no answer. Most of the classrooms were locked already and those that weren't had nothing in them but empty desks. He wondered a moment why the front door was still open, then dismissed it. 

"Angie's still in here….she probably thought someone was watching her and in her lunatic mind she assumes that means she has to have a showdown with the guy. Sadly, that guy is me. Where the hell is she?' he thought, his search taking him to the doors to the back of the school, where recess and lunch were always held.

"Where it all began for me and the maniac. Fitting that she'd be here….I bet she's hiding in the bushes waiting to kick me in the nuts. Or rip my eyes out, who knows what to expect with someone who's stuck in PMS overdrive." He said to himself, pushing the doors open carefully to see….

"Nothing?" he said softly, blinking a moment, thinking stupidly things might change a bit. It was still the same, the same old courtyard with lush trees a ways off and flower bushes near them and the lunch tables. The same old recess area, just without the clamor of students. 

But he did hear something, very faint but he could hear it a ways off as he stepped out into the courtyard, tilting his head towards the noise. It sounded like a people, maybe two from the sound of it, a guy and a girl. He could hear the man mostly, the voice strangely familiar. 

He moved towards it, creeping as quietly as he could across the pavement. He heard kissing sounds after a while, then the giggles from the girl. Stephen got beside a rose bush when the two people came into view, making him leap swiftly behind it when he saw whom the girl was with. 

It was the pretty boy making out with one of the girls from Stephen's math class, Cici was her name as best as he could recall. She was very open and extremely pretty with her blonde hair and bright green eyes, but for what she made up in beauty, she lacked in brains. Cici was a total airhead. She was too stupid to even grasp the simple concepts of how to be cheerleader to hang out with the normal airheads.

'Its no wonder the pretty boy went after that worthless ball of fluff. She's too simple minded to know she's easy.' Stephen thought, suddenly feeling ashamed for spying on the couple making out.

He looked down a moment and began to wonder how he was going to get back in the school without being noticed. 'Oh please, they're were too busy sucking face to see me coming, what are the chances that they'll see me leave?' he thought, then his mind snapped back to reality as he heard the girl's voice change. It sounded pained, like she was afraid.

Stephen looked up a bit, expecting the guy to be raping her, but he didn't get that. He saw the girl lying on her back, but the pretty boy had his hand on her throat. The shocking thing was that it was glowing a dark purple, spirals of the energy spoiling up his arm like an electric snake. 

"Good girl, let your love energy feed the Dark Universe. Feed us, give up your worthless life so we can brink back the Dark Goddess!" the young man cackled, his features all twisted and evil.

"Dark Universe! Shit! Time to transform or he'll kill her. Fluff for brains or not, she's a human being, not that dork's lunch." He hissed out, pulling out his pendant. Stephen nearly got the words out of his mouth when something tackled him from behind, shooting the both of them through the rose bush to land a few feet away from the pretty boy monster.

"Got you!" Angela's voice rang out, her arms wrapped tightly about Stephen's neck, squeezing it tightly. 

"Ack, get off of me, you whacko! You're choking me. Get off!" he gagged, grabbing her arms swiftly and prying her off of his throat.

"What are you insects doing here? How dare you interrupt my work!" the pretty boy yelled, letting go of Cici quickly and leapt over Stephen and Angela's heads to land directly behind them.

"Angela, get lost. He's a monster!" Stephen heard himself say, but when he didn't hear footsteps running, and he knew he was stuck with her. 

"I don't have time for this, human," the young man grated, his pretty boy form twisting horribly, his skin turning a sickly green," Face me now and die, you pitiful brats. I am the great Virile Vile, the acid bath terror!!"

His muscular green body was dripping out gobs of yellow slime, the stuff sizzling through the pavement as it hit. His once perfect mouth was stretched back tight on his face like rubber, feral, needle-like teeth jutting out of it and his eyes were white and empty. His hands and feet were horrible, acid-sweating claws and his hair of gold was a sickly mustard color, slimy looking all the way to the roots.

"Oh hell…." Stephen managed out, leaping out of the monster's way and it tried to tackle him with acid drenched arms. "Hold still so I can dissolve you! HAH! **_Acid Bath!_**" Virule screamed, craning his neck back a moment before a great green glob of corrosive saliva shot out of his mouth.

Stephen took another dive away, still gripping his pendant, but some of the acid hit his leg. "ARGHHH!! I don't care anymore, I have to transform or he'll turn me into a bubbly stain. **_Moon Knight, Transform!!_**" he shouted, the pendant's great glow surrounding his body.

Virule backed up a bit as the young white-haired student became a silver armored knight in a mask and helmet. He glared at him, moving forward even as the youth drew his sword. "Moon Knight, you've given Prince Viper a lot of grief with your meddling. I will avenge his honor….by melting your lousy head off. Rarrr!!!"

"Not in this lifetime, slime wad! Taste cold steel, you bastard!" Moon Knight shouted back, charging at the monster at full force.

~

Angela Furosuto had seen many things in her time, mostly in fights and on television, but what this young man had done was beyond her comprehension. "Looks like Duck Fluff over there has a lot more hidden talents than I pegged him for. What in the world is he?" she said to herself.

"He's a Galaxy Knight, just like you, Lady Mercury." Said a male voice. Angela automatically looked about for the voice, but all she saw was a black cat with a weird bald spot on its head. She was ready to turn her head back to Stephen when the cat's forehead began to send a glowing light upon her right hand.

She gasped as the glow faded, revealing a small, diamond ring on her finger, a diamond in the shape of a small icicle. "Moon Knight can't beat that monster alone. I know, I'm a talking cat, but we can talk about this later, Angela Furosuto. He needs your help. Say 'Mercury Ice, Transform,' and let the ring do the rest." The cat said.

"But…." She began, but the cat leapt up at her and clawed her arm. "Argh! I said say it, girl! Show us what a great fighter you are in your true form!" the cat yowled.

"Fine, if it'll clear things up around this loony bin," she grumbled, getting to her feet quickly with her ring hand raised to the darkening sky, " **_Mercury Ice, Transform!_** ARGHHHH!!"

Cyrus watched happily as the blue light engulfing the young woman, flashing out in the blink of an eye to reveal Lady Mercury. She was decked in ice-blue armor from the neck down to her waist, a skirt of a sapphire color swirling a few inches above her knees. Her hair was in a double braid and she wore a mask of ice blue as well and her armored boots were the same. Her entire form was a shining beacon of metallic ice, a sword of light blue clenched tightly in her hands.

"Cyrus!" Moon Knight shouted suddenly.

The lady and the cat turned towards his cries to find him slumped against the side of the building, blood leaking down his burned leg. He was holding Virile off with his sword, but being so close to the walking acid-man was taking its toll on his armor.

"Go to it Mercury. Concentrate to use your Ice Slash attack with your sword. Take that Dark Universe creep down!" Cyrus shouted, but Mercury was already charging with a screaming war cry. 

She didn't use the attack that Cyrus asked for, but her sword sliced into Virule as if she were a woman possessed, going so far as to kick at the monster. The thing roared out in pain, turning his attention to Mercury. He reared his head back again, letting out another sickly glob of acid fire at her. She leapt up high in the air and tossed her sword right at him, catching him in the gut. 

Virule yanked it out quickly and dropped it onto the pavement, taking a leap up at her with his acidic claws bared. Mercury hit the ground lightly on her armored boots, looking up in alarm at the monster came diving down at her.

"No! Leave her alone! **_Celestial Beam_**!!" Moon Knight shouted, a golden beam of energy shooting forth from his sword, catching Virule in the back. The monster flew a few feet past Lady Mercury, who whipped out in a rage at the creature.

Moon Knight came up beside her, planting her sword back in her hands. "Try listening to his attack advice, Mercury. It helps a lot more than going in half-cocked. We have to hit him with our powers at the same time!" he told her, frowning.

All she did was nod, holding her sword up like a proud warrior as Virule staggered to his feet. "You….You'll never defeat the Dark Universe. We are all powerful!" he glowered.

"We'll sure as hell defeat you, stud. **_Ice Slash!_**" Lady Mercury shouted, slicing her sword hard at the monster, spirals of icy mist spiraling towards it.

"Yeah, give my regards to Greese and Onyx for me! **_Celestial Beam!_**" Moon Knight shouted, the golden beam of energy merging with the ice spirals into a glowing cyclone of ice. The energy rammed into Virule's body hard, sending him flailing backwards several feet, his body growing infected with Moon Knight's explosive attack and Mercury's was swiftly freezing him solid.

Virule exploded into a million icy shards a few moments later, both knights covering their forms up from the hail of the blast.

Moon Knight lifted his head up as the sound of ice shattering left his ears, only the chirp of crickets echoing throughout the deserted schoolyard. He found Lady Mercury staring at him, but he really didn't care about how she was going to kick his butt for hitting her and running.

He walked over to Cyrus, limping a bit on his still healing leg, the burn still apparent. He felt a slight chill as he thought away his transformation, regular Stephen Tsukikage leaning down to pick up his cat.

"Hey! Hey Stephen!" Mercury called," How do you get this stuff off?"

He sighed, her voice piercing him like shrill daggers. "Just think it away. You know how to think, right, Angie?"

"Ok…." she said, her footsteps increasing in speed until she was right in front of him, as Angela Furosuto. She looked very serious getting right in his face.

"I was wondering when you were going to follow me in….I've been waiting all afternoon for this, Snowflake." She said, her voice proud and hard," Don't think me getting these weirdo powers and finding out I'm some kind of super heroine changes anything."

"I didn't doubt that for a minute, Angie. If you want a piece of me, go right ahead. I'm not afraid of you or your threats. Hit me with your best shot." He dared, looking at her sourly.

"You asked for it." She said, grabbing him swiftly by the face and slammed her lips onto his in a hard kiss. Stephen's eyes went wide from shock, mumbling something under the kiss as his arms stiffened, squeezing poor Cyrus half to death.

"YOW!!! Let go, you nitwit! I need air! Ack! Air, dammit, AIR! You're killing me! I'm a cat, not a doll! LET GO!" Cyrus squealed, but Stephen just kept squeezing.

Cyrus took a deep breath when Stephen finally stopped, the moment Angela ended the kiss. "I love you!" she declared.

Stephen backed up, wiping furiously at his mouth as if she has just tried to poison him. "I beg your pardon!? You're a total maniac! You can't love me!" he stammered, still too shocked to run.

"You beat me fair and square, Snowflake, and the man who beats me I want to be with. You won, so I'm all yours, angel face." She cooed, reaching out for him again.

"Oh mother….Oh, I can't love you, I already love somebody else. I don't love you! I love Lady Glamour! Stop that!" he yelped, swatting her hands away from his hips and legs as she tried to grab at them.

"I don't care, I love you, Stephen. I'll do anything to have you. Come here and give me a kiss, dream boat." She smiled, raising her slender fists.

""Uh, I can't do that….cause….cause….Cause I'm late for my tutoring session! Good-bye and good riddance." He stammered, turning heel as fast as he could and ran back for the school, crashing through the doors to race for the front exit.

**_~ Haitsuchi's Arcade Heaven ~_**

Stephen burst into the arcade, panting and sweating like crazy. He wanted to take a break, but he didn't know how far behind Angela Furosuto was. 'I ditched her, leaping into traffic wasn't my smartest move in the world, but she didn't follow after me. God, the nutcase nearly made me drop Cyrus….I might have done that if she'd come into traffic with me.' His mind told him.

"Stephen! Hey Stephen, what the hell happened to you?" Alan called, rushing up to the panting young man. Alan looked at him and noted that there was hole in his pant leg, looking like it had been burned through, but Stephen's leg was fine. "Were you in a gang war or something? How many times do I have to tell you to watch when you daydream?" he scolded.

"Crazy girl….she wants to date me…..but she's a maniac! She thinks cause I knocked her over in a fight that I have to date and love her, She's been stalking me all damn night. You and Gary have to hide me….is Gary here? God, I'm sorry I'm late, but just hide me!!" Stephen panted out, grabbing Alan frantically by his collar. Alan just looked at him utterly stunned.

"I'm here, Stephen. What crazy girl are you talking about?" Gary asked, his voice as soft as ever, still dressed in the same thing he wore the first day Stephen met him

He was about to answer when the door swung open, causing him to let go of Cyrus and run behind Gary, who looked just as shocked as Stephen did.

"That's her!" Stephen yelped, all three men staring at the muscular young lady standing happily in the door with a hungry smile. "Hey, lover boy!" she cooed.

Stephen grabbed around Gary's waist in his panic with his arms, trying desperately to keep him between himself and Angela.

"I am not your lover boy, you nut! Go home!" Stephen rasped out, swinging Gary from side to side as Angela tried to get around him. Gary was making grunts in his throat from all the moving around, trying to pry Stephen's fingers off while trying to shove the purple-haired girl away. Stephen had to wonder why for a moment until Angela threw herself on Gary, wrapping her arms around the shocked guy's neck.

"Whoa! Get off!" Gary yelped, his voice going high as he shoved the girl off. 

"You're pretty handsome too, such delicate features, just like my Stephen. I bet you'd like to go out with me, to teach him a lesson. Then he'll know what he's missing." She purred out, reaching for him again. 

Gary got out of the way, nearly tripping over Stephen in the process. Both of them went behind Alan, who looked about ready to laugh. "Excuse me! What in the heck are you doing, miss? You can't just come in here like some love starved Amazon and hit on my customers. This is an arcade, not a brothel." Alan quipped, still trying to suppress a laugh.

"She's crazy, Alan, don't piss her off now or we're all dead meat." Stephen yelped, kicking Alan in the back of his shin. Alan grimaced at the attack, shaking it off just as Angela got in his face, grabbing him roughly by his shirt collar.

"Don't you tell me what to do, ragamuffin. Don't make me punch your face out over true love." She spat, lifting the arcade owner off the floor.

"Who me? Never, I just don't appreciate brutes coming here and starting a ruckus….Don't make me throw you out on your pretty little rear end. Stephen comes here every afternoon, so if you ever want to get close to the guy, you'd better not make me angry enough to ban you from this place." Alan grinned, barely acknowledging Stephen's startled gasp.

"Alan! What did I ever do to you? Don't tell her where I am every afternoon, you idiot! I don't want to be her boyfriend….I refuse to be her boyfriend!" Stephen glowered, looking to Gary for support. Oddly enough he got a swift nod from his tutor, whose face was about as drenched with annoyance as his own.

"Yeah, just cause you say its true doesn't mean it is." Gary added, raising a gloved fist to back his claim up. Angela looked down at them, giving them an icy smile, then looked back at Alan. "Spirited, aren't they? I'm always up for a good fight, boys. When two men are that cute and strong, who cares? I love challenges." she laughed, dropping Alan in a flash. 

As soon as Alan hit the floor, Angela realized that both Stephen and the dark-haired young man were gone, the arcade door just clicking closed. "Oh, I love a good chase too. You can run, boys," she called, racing out the door after them," But you can't hide!"

Alan watched her go, rubbing his sore rear from the drop as he got to his feet. "Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut." He said aloud.

"Yeah, you should have." Said a familiar voice, the voice of Stephen Tsukikage. Alan looked for it, getting rewarded with the site of Gary and Stephen's heads poking out from behind a video game. "But the door….I saw it closing too." Alan stammered, but the two young men laughed, coming out from behind their hiding place.

"Doors open and shut, Alan, my man, but it doesn't mean we went out it. A couple was leaving while the maniac was playing with you, so we hid back there as they were leaving. It was a fluke really, but Angie was so busy thinking about hunting us down….well, I guess she's more brawn than brains….sadly for me." Stephen explained, shaking his head sadly.

"A lot more brawn, I was gasping for air when she grabbed me. Why the heck would she think anyone would want to be her boyfriend?" Gary quipped, rubbing his throat. 

"Like I said, she's a maniac. She doesn't take any crap from anyone and takes what she wants when she wants it. I should have just let her beat me up and this wouldn't be happening. She's definitely got problems if she thinks the perfect date is a guy that can beat her in a fight." Stephen grumbled, heading off towards the back room.

"You fought that girl? And you won? Man, you are really going through a lot of weird changes lately. What the heck is going on in your life?" Alan asked, shaking his head with disbelief.

"I didn't want to fight her, she forced it on me. Anyway, what's done is done, but I will never date that beast," Stephen glowered, looking back at his friends stoically," As for my life, let's just say its gotten a whole lot more complicated. I'm seeing the world in a whole new way….and I wish I never did." 

**__**
  * Furosuto means- Frost. 
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  * Special Note: For anyone who wonders**_, _**Koyuki-hakuhen means "**Snowflake**" in Japanese


	4. Ch 4GreenEyed Charmers

Chapter 4 **__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the** "Sailor Moon" **series. This goes along the lines of the original series, but an alternate dimension. Trust me, eventually, my knight will meet the scouts. Patience is a virtue, so awaiting that moment won't be so bad. REVIEW!!

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Chapter 4

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Green-Eyed Charmers

"Stephen….that girl from school, Angela Furosuto ….she called again. She still wants to talk to you about business or something." His mother called from behind Stephen's door, young Stephen still laying in his bed and trying to ignore her. 

"That's the 10th time she's called this morning, honey. She said she was going to come over here if you didn't come out." His mother added, banging on his door.

Stephen looked over at his alarm clock, grumbling at the 10am it was blaring out. "The maniac is going to drive me to drink, Cyrus. Can't she leave me alone? I don't want to date her, she's a nightmare." Stephen groaned, turning his face into his pillow when his mother knocked again. Cyrus was lying at the end of Stephen's rumpled bed, looking terribly tired and annoyed. 

"She is a knight, just like you, and very brutal. Hey, don't try and blame me for her falling in love with you. It was her idea, not mine. I don't welcome the idea of the knights mingling in such ways together. Friendship is just fine, but that girl has serious hormonal problems. I'm surprised she hasn't scaled your house and climbed into this room yet." Cyrus yowled, lifting his head slightly.

Stephen sat up crossly and gave the cat a dirty look, rubbing his bare chest. He let a bare leg dangle out of the bed, the corner of his light blue boxer shorts sticking out a bit past the sheets. 

"Please, don't even suggest it. I was just starting to feel safe in here," he grumbled out, eyeing the his door as another knock sounded," Stop bothering me, its Saturday!! I'll talk to her when I feel like it. Go to your bridge club and stay out of my hair, Mom!" 

The knocking stopped, and all Stephen could hear was his mother walking down the hall on the carpeted floor, then nothing. He laid back against the headboard a few moments later, running one hand through his shock white hair. 

"Life sucks, its official. Not only do I have a bratty little sister who goes out of her way to try and get in my room and bother me, but I have to fight super, weirdo villains from another universe. To top it all off, I have to do it alongside a hormonally challenged street fighter female that has the hots for me, and Gary! The two of us had to hide in the trash bin behind the arcade for two hours so she wouldn't get us. I took five showers when I got home and I still felt soiled." Stephen grumbled.

Cyrus shook his little fuzzy head, his eyes closed as he spoke. "She is persistent….I will give her that. Well, did you do what I asked you to do after school before you and Gary played in the dirt?" 

"Oh….sure I did, that charm store is just jumping with business….all of it bad. Worse than what the Black Velvet Beauty products did to those poor women. I saw guys beating each other's brains out for even the ugliest women in the store, not to mention all of the women fighting. Funny thing though, the women were busy slapping and insulting each other, the men were the only ones really brawling." Stephen yawned.

"Another recent store sprouting out of nowhere and causing distress among the customers. This Prince Viper doesn't stray from old ideas for very long. One school infiltration failure and he's back to bad businesses. Feeding off the wickedly heightened emotions of humans, what the Dark Universe does best. I guess originality really doesn't matter as long as they get away with things for while." Cyrus said, scratching his head with his front paw.

"They never had to worry about anyone interfering with their plans for a long time, I'm surprised they waited this long. They could have easily started feeding on humans when I was still a baby….or a kid. Why didn't they?" Stephen asked, kicking his sheets off onto the animal.

Stephen would have burst out laughing at any other time at the site of the cat trying to navigate its way out of the sheets and talk at the same time, but he didn't feel up to it. Being hounded by the school maniac and hiding from her constantly with his equally horrified tutor with all of her powerful advances was less than appreciated. 

'And no matter how many times you tell her you're in love with Lady Glamour, she dismisses her as a harlot or a myth. The nerve of some people, and soon everyone at school is going to see her hanging on me like some lovesick puppy. The daydreamer and the maniac….God, that's a frightening thought.' Stephen thought harshly.

Cyrus yawned so mockingly it was as if he thought it was the stupidest question in creation. "Your powers were still developing then….some of you may have learned how to use them faster than others. There are ten knights total, one for each planet and Earth's moon, where your powers hail from. Some of the other knights might be older, some younger. I don't remember much about the way they all looked, but I do recall all of your auras. It's the only way I can identify any of you. The Dark Universe can only sense great amounts of energy in certain areas or targets, all energy feels the same to them. It's just an addiction to them, like brain candy. For me, it plainly what I feel in my heart, not in my mind. Does that help?" Cyrus said, but Stephen shook his head.

"Makes about as much sense as a firecracker up my nose. You always do this, you start to tell me the answer, but then you drift into something I didn't ask about. Why do you have to be such a snob about information? My ass is on the line here, not yours." Stephen grumbled.

"Well, la-dee-da, fluff boy. This information is meant to help you in the future, and I did answer your question. They probably weren't strong enough when any of you were younger. Not enough to break free from wherever they disappeared to 10,000 years ago, understand?" Cyrus sassed, a bit too proudly," Therefore, until one or a few of the knights actually gained some strength from their ancient powers, the Dark Universe had to wait just as long for their energy to build up over the centuries for that moment. So I did answer your question, in my own way."

"Bull, you just answer me in a way you feel superior to me so you look smart," Stephen grumbled," But to stray from our illuminating conversation, as much as I'd love to chat about the past, remember the charm store? If it's not just a coincidence and Viper is playing businessman again, he has to be stopped. With whatever else is helping him this time."

Cyrus looked pleased a moment at Stephen's interest in knight business and gave off a small smile. "Yes, at least you're focused on things other than complaining about this quest of ours. Yes, we should go there today, but I'll be hanging back. If Viper is in there as he was in the beauty shop, he'll recognize you if you're with me. Well, then again, your hair makes you stand out a bit."

"I'll wear a baseball cap. Wigs itch….that'll be last minute stuff. Beats being around the maniac, she'll never know I'm gone," he sighed, leaping out of his bed with a gigantic grin on his face and flashing victory sign," Look out, Viper, here I come."

"Here we come!" shouted a voice, a female one.

Stephen stood stock still for a moment, feeling a chill run up his spine as the voice began, the recognition of it hitting him like a brick wall. He turned his head a bit towards it, finding Angela Furosuto sitting in his window in white high tops, blue spandex pants and a white tank top, and wearing the most seductive smile on her face.

"Oh God!" Stephen yelped, his face going bright red as he leapt back into his bed, fastening the sheets over his body," What the hell do you think you're doing, Angie!?"

"Admiring the view." She cooed, climbing into his room as if everyone did it, then leaned on the foot of his bed. Stephen turned redder as she did it, a bit of her tanned cleavage poking out. 

"Well I'm not, stop that! And get out of my room….I'm not even dressed, you maniac!" He blubbered, throwing his pillow at her. She caught it with ease, taking a small sniff at it. Her lips curled into a wide smile before she dropped, keeping herself propped where she was as she did so.

"Mmm, I love the smell of a fresh morning man. Its so sexy." She smiled.

Stephen glowered at her. "I'll remember not to shower at night from now on. I do not love you, Angie, and you just think you do. I didn't want to fight you in the first place and Gary didn't even fight you and you won't leave him alone either. What is your deal?" Stephen hissed, but Angela's expression never changed.

"I've never backed down from a potential relationship….and I can get really rough with those that get in my way. Most of my old boyfriends moved away….just my luck, but you, ah, your parents are very prominent in Tokyo and I doubt they'd move very far. You're all mine, Snowflake." She said sweetly, crawling onto his bed.

Stephen leapt off with his sheets as she took a dive for him, landing her pink lips into his bed with a few bounces. "Yuck! Stop calling me that and you can forget about me ever loving a nut like you! How many times must I repeat myself before your thick skull actually understands me?" Stephen growled, raising a fist at her with a sneer.

Angela got into a sitting position, her mouth opening for a retort, but Cyrus leapt onto her lap, his expression very stern. "If you two drama queens are done with your little spat, we have more important things to discuss than a silly crush….like the charm store….the one Viper set up shop in. Come on people, do I have to do all the thinking around here?"

Stephen let out a deep sigh, still trying to keep himself hidden in his makeshift robes of the bed sheets. "Yeah, Puss N' Boots, you do so much thinking, it makes my brain hurt. But….you have a point, Cyrus. This isn't the time to be fighting each other, we should be fighting Viper and his creep crew. The fighting in the charm store got very violent yesterday, even when the people left the store they were still trying to take things from each other. Its wasn't just the charms, they were trying to take the clothes off of other people in rages, shoes, purses, even hair too. If it isn't Viper, it must be one hell of a sale or by coincidence everyone loses their sanity in that store."

"Sounds like my kind'a store. Free for all brawls." Angela piped up proudly, sitting up so quickly Cyrus went flying into Stephen's chest. The pair hit the floor seconds later, Stephen being the first to gripe.

"You would. Probably not a feminine bone in your whole damn body….you are a living, breathing fight. You probably get off on it."

"I do, thanks for noticing, Snowflake," Angela cooed, blowing him a kiss," So, when do we leave?"

"Turn around and let me get dressed, then we can go. Don't you dare peak or I'll make you eat my fist, ten times over. I don't care if you are a girl, you're a brute and a pain." Stephen chided, but Angela just gave him a hardened look.

"Ooo, I like it when you tease me. I love it rough. Fine, if it'll get us into a fight sooner, I'll turn." Angela said sweetly, turning her back to him, slowly.

Stephen went on grumbling, but kept the sheets around him 'Knight or not, she's weird. I'll dress under my sheets. I don't need her bragging about seeing me in my underwear, everyone will have a field day with the kissy face jokes. My name and hers should never be in the same sentence as "love" or "relationship." Double yuck, I hope Glamour shows up soon, I need Angie to see for herself that I love Glamour.' He thought, digging through his bureau for fresh clothing.

**_~ Dark Universe ~_**

- Raven's Grotto -

"Oh, that little bastard is so worthless, why is getting all the prime missions and I get none!?" Raven screamed, kicking at a small, black horned creature sipping from a sickly green pool. It landed with a slushy splash into the murky waters, frantically clawing and screeching towards the rocky shore. Raven herself was standing in the midst of the black grass a ways from it, yanking at her hair in a feverish panic, gritting her teeth so hard they were near the breaking point.

She never expected to hear an answer, or the clink of boots in her own private realm. "Dear Raven, the reason you weren't chosen is because you have a big mouth. I appreciate that factor, in more ways than one, but Lord Specter isn't me. He has….much higher standards for his warriors." Said a cool, so sure voice.

She didn't need to turn around to know who it was, it was a voice she was always anxious to hear in her time of need, but it was also so reasonable and smart even when she was angry that it could be a bane to her.

"Xeno, I did not ask you to interrupt my private time. For my own royal knight, you are excellent to have around in battle…..as well as in my bed, but you are not needed now. Leave me be." She snapped, turning about sharply to give him a cold glare.

She got angrier when she saw him, the smirk on his creamy face, the white hair with purple and blue streaks running through it. He was the Earth equivalent of a cyber-punk, dye in his hair, a painted blue star over one eye and clothes that looked more metallic than like fabric. He wore sharp looking shoulder armor on his left side and metal boots that looked to be taken right out of one of those Earth science-fiction movies. 

Xeno was the e eldest of all of Specter's warriors, and was the only one that wasn't royal. His only relation to the entire Dark Universe was with Specter, being Specter's sole cousin. Raven, Viper, and their little sister Kitty were the only royal members who Specter took with him to take on Earth and to locate the Earth princess. There were more Dark Universe royal family members back where they'd been banished, but Specter hadn't thought they would meet with any interference.

"I said leave!" she shouted at him, starting towards him, but he still held his ground, smugly. "Oh, you're sexy when you're raging mad. I can almost see the pulse in your throat beating out of control, feel your need to tear me apart. Its exquisite." He teased, licking his pale lips. 

She took a swing at him, but he caught it easily, and blocked a kick with just as much ease before he forced her onto the dark ground. "Its not me you're angry at, it's young Prince Viper, my dark lady. Our lord went for youth instead of power….and brutality. Viper will surely mess up too often and Specter will erase him from our world. You'll get your chance, I trained you well enough to be patient. Why can't you listen to your teacher more often?" he hissed out, still smiling.

She tried fighting back, but he was a lot stronger than her. He was a well-seasoned dark knight of their home universe, one of many skilled warriors, but he was Specter's personal favorite. He was as evil as she was, but he was a very intelligent strategist. He knew more about battles than even Specter would let on. She fully understood that when he began teaching her, before the great war against the Earth Universe came. He continued to teach her, as well as becoming her lover in secret. 'Specter, I bet you found out that we did it and that's why Viper got the missions first. Hmmph, it was worth it. It still is, but that brat's incompetence is making you look weak. Just because I'm sleeping with your knight doesn't mean I can't do the Earth jobs better.' She though, shuddering a bit as Xeno's hand clasped over her thigh.

"Maybe, but feeling me up isn't going to improve my situation. He's messed up too much, Xeno, he's making us look like pansies…like worthless humans. We should rightly own the Earth universe, not those pitiful and weak beings. If I was on those missions, that Moon Knight would be a pile of blood soaked bones by now. I'll make Specter regret looking past me. I'll show them all!" she growled, her tutor and lover still smiling.

"Yes, but all in due time. He won't be around much longer….and your persistence with our lord is gaining you the attention as his successor. Specter hasn't killed the whelp because he's brought in a heavy amount of energy for the Dark Goddess. It may be in small doses, but its energy all the same," he told her, his face mere inches from hers," If you really want to get ahead in the game, you have to prepare more than Viper did. He's not even looking for the princess anymore thanks to Moon Knight and his friend Glamour. You should start searching for her and the Soul Crystal like your little sister is. As conniving as she is, little miss Kitty is getting ahead of the both of you as warriors. You don't want that ball of worthless fluff outdoing the queen of mean, now do you?"

"I'd rather die that see that little tart outdo me. Let me up, Xeno, I have to show Specter who's the best royal bad ass this side of the universe." She huffed, but Xeno was starting to suckle on her throat.

"No….give me a half an hour. I'm starved for a taste of you, darkling. I want to feel the chill of your wicked skin before you devote all your time….to other things. Then I will aid you in your search." He said softly, taking her mouth in a deep, hot kiss as he undressed her. She allowed it, undressing him in turn.

'Yes, then onto victory.' She mused, the chill of their bodies meeting on the black grove.

**_~ Cherry Blossom's Charms ~_**

(Sakura's Charms in Japanime**)**

"Get off of my arm, Angie. It's starting to turn purple." Stephen griped, trying to shove the young woman away. She held on tightly, dragging him along as if he was stubborn child. People were staring at them, mostly men, and laughed as they passed by. Stephen got angrier every time it happened, wanting so much to lash out, but Angie didn't stop for a minute. He felt like a trophy being displayed by an egomaniac. 

'Huge maniac….I can't believe this. It'll be all over school soon that the maniac is in love with me. God, I'll be labeled as her whipping boy. Why is this happening to me. I'd sooner call Viper out for a fist fight than lay my lips on Angela Furosuto.' His mind screamed.

He felt a sharp tug on his arm suddenly, a rush of air whipping across his face and tons of screaming filtered into his ears. He found that they were already in the store, waves of people plastered on the glass counters and pulling and pushing at each other in the aisles. He was about to say something to Angie when the door burst open behind him and sent him crashing into the carpeted floor. He wrapped his arms around his head feeling sneakers and heels bite at his skin. Stephen got to his feet quickly, adjusting the brown wig he'd bought. 

With a heavy sigh, he looked back to where Angie had been standing, groaning when he realized she was no longer there. "Back off, you tacky bimbo! I don't want your stupid brooch! Let go of my hair!" Angie's voice suddenly rang out.

Stephen looked towards it to view Angie and a frail looking blonde having a cat fight, pulling at each others' hair and slapping at each other whenever they got a free shot.

"Well, at least she's out of my hair. Now its time to play 'Find that snake.' I wonder if Viper is stupid enough to be at the counter again?" he whispered to himself, walking past the fights as best her could, having to block a few punches along the way.

When he reached the counter, he found a very lovely female grinning at the fighting customers as if it was amusing. 'Must be either a primal lunatic like Angie or a Dark Universe witch. Wonder what she's hiding under her skin?' he thought.

Stephen took a deep breath before approaching the woman, who barely looked at him as he did. She didn't even seem to notice he was talking to her when he reached the counter. "Ma'am, I have a complaint."

She nodded vaguely, licking her ruby lips as more fights erupted. Stephen heard the cracking of bones sound behind him. Suddenly, a man's beaten form slammed up against the counter inches from where Stephen was standing. He looked like a royal mess, complete with broken teeth and black eyes. "Ma'am, I have a complaint….and I think this guy needs a doctor." Stephen said, louder this time.

The woman finally looked up at him, shaking her red hair in a sultry manner, batting her unnatural red eyes at him. "It happens a lot. Our products are so rare, yet so in and affordable, hey, they have to fight just to get a bargain. But a complaint, that's a first here. What's your problem, sweet thing?" she drawled out, her southern accent very apparent.

"Not from around here, are you? Never mind that, my complaint is more of a legal matter. I left my wallet here, I bought a charm here for my….mother. I'd really like to see if you might have found it when you cleaned up last night….I uh, need more money to buy my mother more charms. She just adores them….its almost an obsession for her. Please, I'm desperate, I'd go through anything for my mother's happiness. No sacrifice is too great for her." He spouted, trying to sound a little more frantic. He assumed she would think he was trying to pull one over on her if he was too calm about things, he had to act a bit like the others in order to get past the counter.

She smiled and patted his head, using her other hand to take his and pull him around the counter. As she did so, he saw the fuchsia spandex tank top and hot pants better, though he wished he hadn't. She was beautiful, drop dead gorgeous in fact, but he knew she wasn't what she appeared to be. Her appearance was terribly distracting, which made it harder to concentrate on the mission at hand.

'Think about Onyx and Greese, the ugly sisters. This witch is probably the same thing underneath, hideous and evil. Think hideous and evil…..hideous and evil.' He thought hard, cringing at her strangely warm fingers, deftly pretending to fix his wig as if it were his actual hair.

"Oh trust me, young man, we here at Cherry Blossom's Charms believe highly in great sacrifices. Your mother will be getting more than she ever bargained for in our fine charms, as will you." She smiled, an uncomfortable twisting starting in Stephen's stomach.

"I hope so." He said, giving her a fake smile.

Stephen followed her to a door a few feet away behind the counter, watching her anxiously with every step they took. The room the door opened to was dimly lit room, the walls lined with boxes marked in strange writing, and some open while others weren't, and a lone table and chair sat in the very center of it all. The table and chair were jet-black, shimmering eerily in the pale light, with a small crystal ball balanced on the table. 

Stephen found himself staring at it, his bright eyes growing wider with every second that passed. He was vaguely aware that the woman had let go of his hand, that she was standing a ways behind him with a smug grin on her face.

He didn't do anything until he heard a loud slam echo though his body, whipping head around to find that he was alone in the room, shut it. He raced to the door and frantically tried to turn the knob, but it fell off in his hands and the hole it had occupied filled up.

"Hey!" he shouted, banging his fists on the door," Let me out, lady! What kind of a joke is this!?"

"No joke, honey pot, you're in the lost and found section," the woman's voice whispered on through the door," You lose something, we find you so you can get lost with it to benefit us. Sweet nightmares, honey."

"NO!" he shouted, freezing as the dim light became a bright purple. He looked back over his shoulder, gasping as he saw that the crystal ball was floating above the table, dark light snaking out of it towards him, crackling with purple charges.

"This isn't good….," he uttered, leaping out of the way into some of the boxes as the energy shot at him. It didn't follow him, seeping like ghost snakes through the door.

"The people! She's going to steal their energy!….Angie's out there! Dammit!" he swore, getting up as fast as he could, clenching his sword pendent tight in his hand," **_Moon Sword! Transform_**!"

**_~ Five Minutes Earlier ~_**

Angela Furosuto loved to shop with her mother as much as she did when she was a child, though their tastes varied. Her mother loved to shop for dresses and shoes while Angela preferred buying workout attire and health food and herbs, whatever was the latest in keeping oneself trim and tough. Only natural things went into her body. She detested candy, something her parents delighted in, and wouldn't dare touch a soda pop of any kind.

Jewelry wasn't really Angela's thing either, thought she bought earrings and rings on occasion, but being in the Cherry Blossom's Charms store was unlike any trinket store she'd ever been in.

Right now, she was fighting a trio of girls she knew from school. She did 't know them very well, but she enough from seeing them walking about in school together to know that they were good friends and didn't have a wicked bone in their bodies. Still, they had given her quite a fight over some amethyst charm necklaces that a fat woman stole from them and lost to Angela. She had only wanted to give it back to them, but they were enraged to see her with what they wanted. Not only that, they were in jealous rages about the way she looked, who she was, and about everything else they could think of to be jealous about.

"You think you're so hot cause you feel you're stronger and prettier than me? Hah, we are much more enchanting than a brute bitch like you, Angela." The brunette laughed, her face thin with rage, eyes wide with hate. Her blonde friend with braids shoved and slapped her hard, the blonde's face equally hateful. "You? What about me, you whore? I'm much foxier and better than everyone in this whole damn store. I deserve that gorgeous necklace. It was mean for such a queen-like person, so that's gotta be me!"

The other brunette with a very long ponytail butted in at the end of the blonde's speech, baring her ruby-red press-on nails at all of them. "Heh, if you mean drag queen, you were meant for it all right, but it was meant for a girl with goddess qualities, that's me. You stupid tarts wouldn't know real beauty if it bit you on your fat asses."

Angela watched in disbelief as the trio of girls started to beat each other up, their small fists crashing into one another and their noses splashing out blood with each hit. The young woman just dropped the necklace in disgust, unable to understand what the big deal was about the silly trinket.

"That stupid thing isn't worth that. God, what a bunch of whackos. Maybe 'ole Snowflake and the pussycat were onto something about this place." She said, trying to make her way towards the counter, the last place she saw Stephen standing.

As she got closer, she saw a faint outline of blackness snaking its way across the ceiling, loud thuds vibrating to her ears as it got closer to where she stood. She saw why as men and women started fainting all around her, the black tendrils littering with what looking like purple lightening shooting into them. Each person struck by the tendrils choked for a moment, their arms frozen in pain for a few seconds before they fell to the floor.

Angela quickly ducked behind one of the display cases to watch and wait, feeling a sick tug on her heart as the last of the poor people fell lifelessly to the floor. There was one person left standing, a woman in a tacky fuchsia outfit, her blood-red hair almost dripping down her shoulders. "Oh, Prince Viper will be so pleased. Mmmm, the delicious suffering, so sweet. Oh, give me all your energy, meat sacks, give me your lives for the dark goddess. Sacrifice yourselves for the Dark Universe! Ah hah hahh hah hahh haaaaa!" the woman cackled.

Angela clenched her right hand down tight, looking at her ring as it glowed with her fury. 'I'll give you some energy you won't believe, lady. Straight up your tasteless butt!' her mind screamed.

An explosion cut her thoughts off, her eyes shifting back to the evil woman, who was now crouched on the people-littered floor. The Moon Knight had taken her place on the counter, his brilliant sword held firmly in his armored hands. "Dark Universe bitch, how dare you harm these people for your damn twisted goddess. Time to meet you maker the hard way. Hyaa!" Moon Knight shouted, leaping at the evil woman swiftly. Sadly, she was prepared for his attack and used her feet to catapult him out the store window. 

"Sorry, Moon Knight, but I don't think you know who you're dealing with! Prepare to die!" she shouted, jumping out after him.

Angela watched her go for a few more seconds before raising her ring to the ceiling. "**_Mercury Ice! Transform!_** Arghh!" she groaned, a haze of light surrounding her body.

~

Moon Knight pulled himself off the pavement, taking the time to sigh in relief for the fact that no one was on the streets. He was almost thankful he'd slept half the day away and let Angie take the long way to the store, wasting most of the remaining daylight they had left. The night sky had welcomed him, along with a few dozen shards of sharp, broken glass as the dark Universe flunky had tossed him through the large glass window.

He heard the crunch of glass erupt behind him, so he wasted no time in rolling away from it and facing it as he was sure he'd gone far enough. He blinked at the woman, unable to take his eyes off her until she opened her mouth. She looked like cross between a diamond statue and Onyx, her mouth much larger than her head and filled with long, needle-like teeth. She snapped at him as she spoke, the shrieking sounds of her teeth rubbing against one another driving his hearing crazy.

"So, you're the pretty boy Moon Knight that has been plaguing our master. Viper is not too pleased with you, so I'm not pleased with you. Now you face me, to the death. Now you face Needles!" she spat, raising her claw-like fingers up and seemed to throw them right at him.

His eyes widened as a hail of crystal shards shot at him, all looking as sharp as Needles' teeth. He swung his sword at them, trying to block all that he could, but a few got past him and crashed painfully into his arm, knocking him on his back from the great force.

"What a wimp! Time to die, little man!" Needles cackled, leaping over Moon Knight as she raised her arms up against and threw a new barrage of shards at his head. Before they could touch him, a chilled mist littered with ice shards ripped through the crystals, shattering them on impact.

"What!? Who did that?" Needles swore, landing neatly at Moon Knight's feet, turning her head towards the attack.

Moon Knight scrambled away from her as she did so, smiling a little when he heard a familiar voice ring out proudly.

"I am Lady Mercury, metal head! And that's my man you're messing with. Not only that, you just knocked out a whole bunch of good people for your dirty goddess. You are getting a major ass-whooping!" Lady Mercury shouted, her diamond sword held high as she struck a gallant pose.

Moon Knight backed away a bit as Mercury and Needles got in their standoff, Mercury acting terribly haughty with each passing moment.

"In the name of my planet of Mercury, I'm going to send you and your spiky rear end crackling down the frozen gates of my hell. Prepare to be cold cocked by the mighty Lady of Merc…."she was saying, just as Needles let out a terrible wail and charged her with her claws extended.

She took a quick leap into the air to tackle Mercury with her razor sharp grip, her mouth open wide, the needle-like teeth screaming for Mercury's blood. "Lady Mercury, get out of the way!! Mercury!!" Moon Knight shouted, rushing towards them to stop the attack.

Needles fell down in a crumbled heap as several crystal shards rammed into her back, breaking the surface with sickening cracks. She was bleeding out some green goo from the wounds, shatter marks extending from each one.

"Next time Lady Mercury, make your speeches short and stick to fighting. The Dark Universe won't wait for you to finish your drivel to attack. This isn't a comic book, you know." Said a honeyed voice.

Moon Knight smiled towards Lady Glamour, her lovely and virtuous presence very welcome to him after being deprived of her in his sights for weeks. "Lady Glamour! Thanks, you're right. Time to toast this loser, my way," Moon Knight replied, raising his sword towards the gasping crystal monster, "**_Celestial Beam!_** Eradicate her!"

The beam of light shot forth from his sword and infected Needles, as it had the other Dark Universe creatures before her, the light of Moon Knight's attack shining rapidly through her near-transparent body.

"ARGHHHHHHH!!!! VIPER! FORGIVE ME! AHHHHHHH!!!!!" Needles screamed, as her body vaporized into nothingness before the trios' eyes.

When the streets were silent, Mercury let out a feral cheer, raising her armored fists to the sky. "All right, Moon Knight! What a man! Yo….huh?" Mercury began, looking over at Moon Knight appreciatively, but her face fell as she did.

Moon Knight was looking at the woman with black hair and the fancy mask, the one he called Lady Glamour. She'd thought this woman to be a myth since she'd never seen her once. She was surprisingly beautiful and shapely, and she had Stephen's full attention. He was even reaching for her, a smile on his delicate features.

"Thank you so much, Lady Glamour. You don't know what your presence means to me. I'm very happy to see you….its been so long since we've fought side by side. Where have you been?" he said, his tone bright and happy.

'He never speaks to me like that. Hmmph, she dresses like a tart anyway. She's no good for him.' Mercury thought, a sneer forming on her lips.

Glamour was about to say something when she suddenly put both hands on her head, moaning in pain. Moon Knight was still reaching for her, but the smile was gone, his lips pursed nervously. "Lady Glamour, are you all right? What's wrong?"

He asked, his voice filled with concern.

"Nothing, I must go now. Please Moon Knight, heed my words. Find the other knights and stop the Dark Universe, stop them from getting the Soul Crystal….and save the royalty. We're….oh….their only hope." She moaned out, leaping high into the air, highly than Mercury imagined a normal human could. She disappeared over a building, too high up for even her footfalls to be heard.

"I hope she's all right." Moon Knight mumbled, staring up at where the mystery woman had vanished. Mercury shook her head, hearing moans erupt from behind her. She turned her head back towards the store, the people who had passed out earlier were getting up, rubbing their faces in confusion. They were mumbling out their confusions quietly, looking around the wrecked store. The once lavish store was nothing but an abandoned shop, the display cases nothing but concrete blocks stacked on top of each other and the charms were now dust.

"Never mind her, we have to go. Our work is done here….we have to get to finding more knights and stuff like the bimbo said….and the jewel and royal types she was talking about." Mercury chided, getting a vicious snarl from Moon Knight. 

"You're lucky you're a human woman or I'd deck you for that comment. Still, you're right, this is all done with and we have a lot of hard work ahead of us. The royalty, yes, we have to find them and the Soul Crystal before those Dark Universe geeks do. There's no telling how many people they'll hurt with it….or what they'll do to the royalty if they beat us. We have to go on fighting….then, retire. That'll be a happy day." Moon Knight uttered, running down the street, Mercury trailing swiftly at his heels.

**_~ Mansion in the Forest ~_**

-The Dark Abode of Prince Viper-

"NO!" Viper shouted, slamming his fists into his dining table, snapping the poor piece of wood and metal in half. 

"I can't fathom it! Needles was the best warrior I had ever had the pleasure of knowing and that little do-gooder Moon Knight and his new friend beat her. And that Glamour witch, how dare she attack my warriors!! HOW DARE THEY INTERFERE!!" he screamed, smashing the halves of the table to pieces as his rage worsened. He stopped after a few minutes, raising his head in surprise as he felt a dark force enter his home, one he despised.

"Raven! My big, slutty sister. How miserable that you showed up. Get out before I throw you out!" he yelled, not even bothering to look at his sister who floated only a few feet away from him. She was grinning like lunatic, her sultry expression taking great pleasure in his suffering.

"Not before I deliver a message to you, little brother. From Lord Specter." She cooed, to which he finally whipped around to face her.

"L….Lord Specter? What? What message does he have?" he asked, keeping his voice tight.

"Oh, it was short, little brother, and sweet. He says shape up….or die. As in he's going to tear you apart if you don't start giving the goddess what she wants. I'd stop fooling around so much, little prince, or you'll look even more foolish than you do now. Ta-ta, loser." She laughed, vanishing before his eyes.

"A fool am I," he said through clenched teeth, raising his fist at where his sister had been," I'll show you who's the fool, big sister, and you'll be kissing my ass in apology for ever doubting my power! You'll never win! NEVER!"


	5. Ch 5The Knight of War

Chapter 5 **__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the** "Sailor Moon" **series. This goes along the lines of the original series, but an alternate dimension. Trust me, eventually, my knight will meet the scouts. Patience is a virtue, so awaiting that moment won't be so bad. REVIEW!!

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Chapter 5

__

The Knight of War

**_~ Dark Universe ~_**

- Raven's Grotto -

Raven had her tiny feet swirling in her pool of green water, smiling down at her sickly reflection. She wasn't admiring just herself, but thinking about how happy she was. Lord Specter was getting terribly fed up with all of Viper's failures, all of the warriors he'd lost to the Moon Knight, to stupidity.

__

He's angered the goddess with his lack of success. He's making us look like pushovers…._a universe of pansies. He'd better start rising the body count and the energy supply or he's through. I'll destroy him myself if he doesn't start showing some progress_…._Raven, if he doesn't, I'm appointing you our new Earth general. Don't you make me regret it as I regret appointing Viper. Don't you dare_….

Lord Specter's words still echoed throughout her brain, making her shiver with delight. Her constant appearances before her lord and spying on Viper had finally paid off, giving her lord the information that Viper was withholding. She didn't like brown-nosing, unlike their baby sister Kitty did. The little fluffy brat was always kissing ass and appealing to Lord Specter in any way she could, all power mad and no real brains to back her up. She gathered Specter preferred her company because she was easy to shut up and control, unlike the rest of them.

"She's not going to steal my glory. I'm going to kill those damn knights and make the human race suffer for their impudence. No way is little missy kitty cat going to put one over no the queen of mean, the lady of death and darkness will not be denied." She glimmered, laying back onto the ground, letting her raven feather cape envelop her body.

"Not a chance….She's too annoying." It was Xeno's voice, whimsical and mischievous. 

She smiled still, lifting one leg up in the air slowly, then ran one hand down it. "You love to sneak up on me, don't you Xeno? To what do I owe the honor?" she cooed, her smile gone feral.

She heard the light crunch of the dark grass under his boots, getting louder until she found he was standing directly over her. She looked up his legs for a moment, licking her lips, then up to his smiling face, so wicked looking she felt like she was in her ultimate paradise. 

"The usual….and some new business….that concerns your little sister and brother. Viper, well, he learned well how to use his mystic powers from me, but he lacks greatly the knowledge of how to use his strength and mind at the same time. He will not last much longer. He is getting quite desperate the last I saw of him. He seems to think going after young humans is the way to weed out Moon Knight and this Lady Mercury." He replied, his eyes glowing a bit.

"Mmm, what about the lady in black, Glamour I think he called her? It was quite a fight, Xeno, but Needles wasn't prepared for her. Whoever she is, she was the first to get anything through Needles' skin, to cause her pain." Raven sighed, playfully running her fingers down Xeno's leg.

"Charming, but yes, this Glamour girl is becoming even more of a nuisance than Moon Knight is. Lord Specter would greatly reward us if we found out who she is. If we find her and eliminate her, our lord would be extremely….delighted. But, one thing at a time, darkling. First we have to keep ratting out your brother." He said, leaning down to her with an outstretched hand. 

Xeno let his cold fingers play along Raven's leather clothing, letting them slip under them deftly, lifting them and letting them snap back on her skin swiftly. "I have a better idea, I'll spy on brother dear, you see what you can find out about Glamour….who knows, maybe we can use that information to trap my brother with his own stupidity." Raven sighed gently.

Xeno grinned at that and gave her a nod. "Good, darkling, you learned so much more than your brother and sister did, you think on your toes, but let's not think for a few hours….as a matter of fact, let's not think at all right now." He uttered, landing cool kisses on her bare stomach.

"Gladly….I always think better with a dirty mind." She replied.

**_~ Haitsuchi's Arcade Heaven ~_**

"Would you let go of me!? I have to go to my tutoring session now. I can't take a girl back into Alan's private room….it's the rules, Angie, now beat it!" Stephen growled, trying as hard as he could to yank his arm out of Angela's Furosuto's vice-like grip. She was kissing up and down his arm like a mad woman, making him turn bright red, both from embarrassment and anger. He heard Cyrus yowl in his free arm, finding the poor animal in an unintentional headlock, but Stephen really didn't care about what his guardian cat was going through.

'She still doesn't want to admit I don't love her, that I'll never love her. Why can't we just be friends. You don't deck a person in self-defense and have them fall in love with you. That's insane! Why the hell won't she listen to me?' he thought wildly, finally succeeding in getting his lipstick plastered arm away.

"Rules are meant to be broken, Snowflake. Can't you make an exception for your true love? Hmm?" she cooed, her fists clenched tightly together and her face filled with joy.

Stephen just looked back at her nervously, panic stricken. "Yuck! I'm not anymore your true love than the Loch Ness monster is mine. I think I'd be better off with that thing than you. You're whacked Angie. Let me go to my session. You can wait out here, play some games, eat some food, anything, just don't follow me. I have to get better grades and you blocking the blood flow in my arm won't help me any."

"Oh, you're just teasing me, Snowflake. You like the rough stuff." She replied, blowing him a kiss.

"Yeah right, just like I enjoy a swift kick in the ass. I have to Angie, just don't you dare follow me, or so help me….I'll throw you across the room. Or worse. Let me take my lessons, for pity's sake." He snapped, turning swiftly on his heels with Cyrus tucked securely in his arms.

"Don't you think you were a little harsh with her?" Cyrus whispered, getting a bop on his head in return.

"No, I've tried being nice. I've even tried explaining things to her, but she's as stubborn as hell. I have to be cruel and nasty cause it's the only thing that ever gets through to people. It might just take time for someone as thick headed as her." Stephen grumbled back. Winding around the numerous arcade games and customers. He saw Gary leaning against one, looking directly at him with a slight smile. There was a crowd of young girls playing on the game he was near, the trio of girls Angela had been fighting with at the late Cherry Blossom Charms store. She had pointed them out in class the next day to him, wondering if they'd remember how she mopped the floor with them.

He couldn't help but feel bad for the three girls, they were the butt of Angie's fight roster jokes and they couldn't even recall being there at all.

Stephen shoved the fight talk out of his head, sick to death of hearing Angie tell him how many broken noses she gave out the day before and how many people put in traction. He didn't care for her brutal interests as much as she did, her obsession about be the strongest woman in all of Japan. It made him sick to hear how she hurt people and enjoyed it.

'Viper should date her, he'd probably love to hear about her lunacies.' He thought, casting his eyes down a bit as he headed for Gary.

As he lifted his eyes up and gave a smile to Gary, he felt a hard, warm thing smack into his nose. He heard it crack seconds later as he jerked his head back and fell to the floor. Cyrus had already leapt out of his arms by the time Stephen grabbed at his nose, feeling the warm blood flooding over his fingers.

"Holy shit! I'm sorry, man, I didn't see you there." A male voice gasped, thick yet frightened. Stephen opened his eyes as much as he could, trying to forget the pain, and saw a young man kneeling in front of him. He was wearing a red leather jacket with black shoulder patches. He was wearing a black shirt underneath with a gold and blue patch hidden under one of his jacket's lapels, and wore black combat boots and jeans. His hair was as black as his shirt and a little spiky in the front, hanging little over one of his chocolate brown eyes.

"I think you broke my nose." Stephen managed out, skittering back a few inches from the shocked young man.

"I said I was sorry. I didn't see you, I just made an all time high on 'Zombie Cyborg,' I was celebrating my victory and, well, wham. You were behind me when I was. It was an accident, pal." The young man shot back, trying to help Stephen up. Gary appeared behind him and grabbed the young man by the arm. 

"Celebrating is one thing, popping a guy in the nose is another. Alan and me have told you time and time again, Ray, that you are not roughhouse in here." Gary said tightly.

"I didn't do it on purpose, man. I swear, I didn't even see him till I felt my hand hit him. Come on, Gary, you know I'd never deck a guy I didn't know." Ray groaned, trying to get out of Gary's grip.

"MEOW!" Cyrus yowled, leaping at Ray like a lion, his tiny claws and teeth bared at the stunned youth. He jerked his arm away from the attacking cat, and Cyrus made a strangled noise as his teeth dug into Gary's arm.

"OWWWW!!" the man shrieked, his voice shooting up high as he let go of Ray to smack the cat off his own, bending over a bit as he grabbed at his bleeding arm. Cyrus seemed to mentally shake off the dizzy spell Gary had knocked into him and went to Stephen, who was still gripping his nose. Angela was coming towards them as well, her face full of rage.

Cyrus shook his head at the ridiculous scene and swiftly charged back at Ray, biting his ankle hard. "Done." The cat whispered to himself, gagging as a firm hand yanked him back by his throat. 

"Cyrus! How dare you bite Gary! Bad kitty!!" Stephen yelled, strangling the cat mercilessly with his free hand before slamming the cat against one of the video games.

"Argh, but I said I was sorry. No need to sick your rabid cat on me!" Ray shouted, hopping up and down on his good foot and grabbing at his bleeding ankle with his hands.

"Sorry this, you bully! Nobody hits my man!" Angela yelled, pulling her fist back before ramming it into Ray's face. The young man was sent back sprawling a few feet onto the tile floor with a bruised cheek, swearing under his break as more pain took over his face. He opened his angry brown eyes and looked up at his attacker, rubbing his sore cheek gingerly.

Stephen felt like he'd been kicked in the gut when he heard what Ray said to her. "What a babe!" the young dark-haired youth uttered, his jaw slacking and his eyes brightening all at the same moment.

"Babe?? Who you calling a babe, jerk? That's degrading!" Angela raged, leaping over Stephen to tackle Ray. Stephen watched in disbelief as Angela pounded on Ray, and all he did in defense was try and block her attacks. He was doing a very good job of it too, only missing a few slaps she gave him. The youth just wouldn't fight back.

Stephen felt Gary helping him up, the older man's good arm wrapped tightly around his waist as he began to lead him to the back room. 

"Alan's back there, he had to fix a few light bulbs. He'll break up their squabble….but I don't think he's going to let them back in for a while. Ray's prone to taking matters into his own hands….he got kicked out from jumping the gun on a couple of hoodlums that were trying to run off with some girl's purse. The girl was happy, but he destroyed one of the games in the fight. This is the first time anyone's picked a fight with him." Gary was saying during the walk, using his foot to knock on the back room door once they reached it.

"I don't doubt it….damn, it would have been fine if Angie hadn't come storming down the aisles when he started yelling….it wouldn't have been such a mess." Stephen mumbled.

"And what was with your cat. He sure likes to bite people….funny looking cat too, never seen one with a symbol bald spot." Gary added, taking a deep breath as the door opened, Alan's smiling face appearing behind it.

His face fell when he saw the two men with wounds and blood on them. "Stephen! What did you do this time? Daydream while washing knives?" Alan said sarcastically, yanking the both of them into the back room.

"Ray Hitodama* ….Angela is beating the stuffing out of him. She thinks he attacked lover boy here and went berserk. They're fighting in between 'Zombie Cyborg' and 'Rabid Rancher Maniacs.' I'll take care of Stephen, trust me, you should think more about kicking those two out than our health. They'll probably hurt more people the longer they roll around out there." Gary piped, leading Stephen to the poker table.

"Ah God, I never get any peace around here anymore. You're all going to be the death of me….this is enough to drive me to drink." Alan sighed, exiting with a heavy sigh as he left the two to nurse their injuries.

Gary was already prying Stephen's hands away from his nose, lightly feeling along the bridge of his nose as he examined him. "Hmm, that's strange….its not broken after all," Gary mused," Keep you head aimed up. I'm going to go get some wash clothes to clean this. Don't touch it either."

"It still hurts, no way I want to touch it at all." Stephen replied nasally as Gary left him at the poker table to go for the bathroom, the sounds of clinking bottles and his shoes on the small tiles all he could hear.

'He's a good friend….him and Alan. Well, Alan's more like a brother than Gary is….That guy is a real friend. Better than that damn bite-crazy cat and maniac wanna-be girlfriend of mine. Least I have some luck with people.' He thought, staring at the bright ceiling light, squinting a bit. He didn't know how long he'd been sitting there until he felt a hand slide onto his chin.

"Sorry I took so long, Stephen. I had to clean the bite marks out. It actually wasn't as bad as I thought, but they still hurt. Just keep your head up so I can clean you nose off." Gary said, his fingers shaking a bit on his chin. 

"Sure…. Glad to hear my lunatic cat didn't hurt you too bad. Good thing he's had all his shots or I'd have been angrier." Stephen said nasally, blinking a few times as the light got in his eyes again.

It took a few minutes for Gary to get rid of the thickening blood caked on Stephen mouth and chin, the gelatinous feel to the stuff making Stephen want to swat it off his face like a million flies. He remained still, letting his friend wipe it all off, then he bit the side of his mouth as the rubbing alcohol was applied. It stung but he knew it was necessary in Gary's mind. Stephen couldn't tell him that his cat bit him and gave him great healing powers. 

He stiffened as he remembered about Cyrus' actions earlier as he looked to the side, seeing the bite marks in Gary's sleeve. 'He bit Gary and Ray….could they both be knights? Damn, I should have kept that stupid cat around and I'd know.' He thought, feeling a pinch on his nose as Gary put on a nose brace.

"Ow….I didn't think Alan thought this far ahead for my daydreaming accidents, even if this isn't one of them." Stephen replied evenly as Gary let go of his chin. The other young man shrugged, giving off an assuring smile. "Alan said you never can tell with you. He got lots of every type of injury medical supply kit there is, not just for you, but for me." He said sheepishly.

"You? Why you too, Gary?" Stephen asked.

Gary rubbed the back of his own neck as he replied with," Hey, I'm studying to be a doctor, you're a real learning experience to brush up on my healing skills."

"I'm a guinea pig, huh? Well, so long as it keeps me in good health, I don't mind being a personal science project. Saves me a lot of trouble of bugging my parents to take me to the doctor's office. Sides, what better doctor could a person ask for than his friend?" Stephen replied.

He saw Gary blush at that, cocking his head to the side. "You consider me a friend?"

Stephen eyed him curiously. "Of course, why wouldn't I? We talk about stuff like friends, we've gotten to know each other, we kid around and tell jokes, and all sorts of friend stuff. You should really come down here on Saturday nights to play cards, you know. I've never even seen you have any fun since I met you except when you call me a meathead or laugh at my jokes. What do you do on the weekend anyway?" Stephen asked.

"I'm busy over the weekend, Stephen….not much time for fun and games when you're in college. It'll only get harder when I go to medical school, but I can handle school. Bills are another matter, so there's no time for fun when I have to pay for my apartment." He replied, turning away from Stephen slowly.

"Yeah….and one of those jobs is tutoring me. I guess we should get down to business now. Sorry for prying, man, I was just curious." Stephen said quietly, shifting uncomfortably in his chair.

"No biggie, meathead, and you're right. No more slacking off…even if you and me are scamming your parents out of this money." Gary quipped.

"Its all for a good cause, friendship and so my friend can survive through medical school. So let's quit flapping our jaws and start flipping some pages." Stephen piped.

**_~ 4 Hours Later ~_**

Stephen left his tutoring session with a smile on his face, happy he finally got Gary to agree to try and have some fun for the sake of staying sane. "All work and no play make you a dull boy. Live a little, Gary….go on a date, or go to a movie, hell you can go alone. I do it all the time. There's nothing wrong with a few hours of fun." He'd told Gary only a few minutes ago, giving his friend a good-natured pat on the back.

Gary had said he'd consider it if Stephen would promise not to suggest it again. He let it slip that his parents were terribly protective of him ever since he was adopted, and it only grew when he moved out. He explained he didn't want them thinking he was partying every day instead of paying his bills and for food. Stephen had told him he considered that a yes and if he was ever in trouble, just to give him a call. 

"That's what friends are for. We look out for each other, man." Stephen had said, to which Gary smiled.

After that, Stephen had gathered up his notes and study guides Gary had typed up for him to fool his parents and left the back room. He had smiled all the way to the exit, a sudden frown overtaking him as a screaming female's voice ripped through his hearing.

'Angie….dammit, why am I not surprised?' he thought upon seeing the purple hair female screaming at the top of her lungs at Ray Hitodama in the night air, a shocked crowd all around them.

"Hey, it was an accident. I don't start fights cause someone walks behind me!" Ray was yelling back, his entire body in fighting stance, blocking Angie's occasional swings at him. "Didn't look that way to me. Nobody hits my boyfriend and gets away with it. Start fighting, you wimp!" Angie shouted, taking another shot at Ray, but Stephen fired his own hand in to stop her, grabbing her roughly by the wrist.

"That's enough, you maniac. And I'm not your boyfriend….when are you going to understand that we're just friends….and I use the term loosely. Leave the guy alone, people are gonna call the cops on you if you don't back off." Stephen grated out, staring right in her face hard until she nodded stiffly. He released her arm then, sharply, then turned his head to Ray.

"Sorry, she is a bit….energetic about things….and real sorry about my cat. He doesn't usually attack people like that. Is your ankle ok?" Stephen asked, the dark-haired youth nodding at him.

"Yeah. There was some blood, but I can't find the wound. Maybe it was your cat that bled cause I couldn't find the bite marks. Its ok, I guess that cat must really be loyal to you to leap at something 10 times its size over an accident," he said, tapping the foot of the ankle in question on the pavement for good measure, then stuck out his hand," Ray Hitodama, Dokasan Military School."

"Like we're so impressed." Angie mumbled, but both young men ignored her comment as they shook hands. "Stephen Tsukikage** and this _lady _is Angela Furosuto, we got to Takozona Junior High. Military school? Choice or not?" he asked Ray.

Ray pulled his hand away with a laugh. "Nah, it was my choice. I want to be cop, serve and protect, you know. I joined up so I could learn combat skills better….I'm going to the academy once I'm all done. Uh, does your nose hurt anymore? Did I break it?" Ray spouted, eyeing Stephen curiously.

"Oh, this," Stephen chuckled, touching his nose brace lightly," Not to worry, its not broken, but Gary said it would help block out the pain. Keep it from swelling or something. No harm done, just a little pain is all." 

"I feel real bad about it, I shouldn't have gotten so excited about a silly game. I want to make it up to you. Why don't you come have supper at my house, my grandmother is a great cook. It's the least I can do for bopping you." Ray uttered, putting his hand to his chest as he gave off a smile.

"Really? That's awful nice of you….but I'll have to find my cat first, don't want him stalking you behind my back, now do we?" Stephen offered, grimacing as Angie made a noise in her throat.

"Sure, take your time. I'll just stay out here with this lovely orchid." Ray smiled, then posed a shy expression at Angie. She turned her nose up at him and folded her arms across her chest. "I'm not your lovely anything." She sniffed.

Stephen couldn't help but comment as he went back for the arcade door. "I wish she'd say that to me."

**_~ Shinden Fenikkusu Doujou~_**

_(Sacred Phoenix Dojo)_

"Ray-san….Oh, my sweet little grandchild, you bring some of your school friends to meet your tired old grandmother. Such a good boy. I didn't know pretty girls went to your school." Mrs. Hitodama coddled, reaching up to pinch her grandson's cheeks. He looks strained as she looked as if she was about to rip the skin off, pinching his cheeks until they were bruised and red. 

"Grandmother, stop it, you're going to tear my face off," Ray sighed, pulling away to his full height as she let go, still beaming at him," Where's grandfather?

"Oh, that miserable old man, he's staring at all the young ladies buying from his little gift shop. Oh, that man, selling symbols and charms carved from ivory, he thinks it will get more people to study martial arts here. Ugh, he just does it so he see those poor girls in tight clothes and grope them when they aren't looking. I tell you if he wasn't such a fine trainer and making good money, I'd throw him out. You could take over, Ray-san."

The old woman spouted, her withered face shaking a bit as she did.

Stephen couldn't help but notice how Ray towered over the old woman, she was at least a good four feet tall, even with the tied gray bun her hair was done in on her aged head. She wore a maroon kimono with black embroidered symbols on them and had on sandals and white socks on her feet. He couldn't but wonder what the grandfather looked like. From what he was hearing, he wasn't likable, but Ray seemed to care enough about him to ask about his whereabouts. 

"Grandmother you always say that when I come home and ask you that. You know you love him, even if he's gone a bit senile. He still has his skills….but yes, he isn't a good man when he touches those young ladies. Especially right now with all the problems lately….I promise I'll keep a closer eye on him after school, Grandmother." Ray told her, bowing respectively to her with a smile.

"I know, my precious Ray-san. Now, who are your friends, grandson? My what lovely friends they are, the boy, ah, he has angel hair, and such a lovely cat, fur like velvet. And such a lovely young woman, she has hair like the perfect orchids in my garden. Your mother must be a sight, child." The old woman spouted again, grinning widely.

"This is Stephen Tsukikage and Angela Furosuto. I met them at the arcade….sort of. There was little misunderstanding, so I promised to make it up to them with your famous cooking, Grandmother." Ray said pleasantly.

The old woman looked at Ray wryly for a moment, her face unreadable. "Oh, Ray-san, is that why he has tape on his nose. You started another fight, bad boy. You promised you'd be good for us and control your temper." She scolded, but Stephen stepped in between them suddenly, smiling gently at the old woman.

"No, like he said, it was a misunderstanding….an accident really. He didn't start anything, but he felt so responsible, he invited us to supper. It would have been poor manners to say no, Mrs. Hitodama. We came here as friends." Stephen told her, getting a tight squeezing from her on his hand.

"So polite and honest, just like our Ray-san. I am very happy he's found friends, understanding ones too. Well, I suppose I should start supper, children. Ray-san, why don't you go check on your grandfather, take your friends with you. It would be so nice for them to see the rest of our fine dojo. Maybe they will join up if you are extra good tour guide."

"Grandmother, they're friends, not tourists, but ok. Just don't get your hopes up….people don't make these decisions in a split second. You don't go from being a non-warrior to a superhero in a second….you've been getting into my comic book collection again, haven't you, Grandmother?" he teased, wincing playfully as his mother brought out a paper fan from her kimono and hit his rear with it.

"Mind your manners, young man. Go find your grandfather now, off with you, don't come back until I sound the gong for supper." She scolded, shooing them out of the house rapidly. 

Ray shrugged as the door slid shut and started to walk off towards the dojo, something Stephen looked like an old samurai house or a temple. In fact, Stephen thought it looked very similar to the Hitodama's house, aside from the fact the house walls were made of wood and the dojo wasn't, but the roofs were mostly the same. They looked like they were made of red stone, curved and long brick-like. There was small bell tower at the top of it with a black bell inside it.

As they got closer, he could see a golden phoenix painted on the front doors of the dojo, its proud head raised to the glowing heavens painted above it. Stephen mused silently in his mind about its beauty, feeling a little safer as Ray opened the doors.

He wished his mind wouldn't make such stupid wishes as a hoard of females charged out the doors, nearly trampling the three teenagers in their wake. Stephen and Ray leapt to the right and Angela went to the right, landing on a row of flower pots.

"Man, when your grandmother said young ladies were with him, I never dreamed he'd have an entire army. He must be really good at what he does." Stephen rasped, still staring after the girls as they piled into a bus.

Ray didn't respond to him. He was already back on his feet and trying to help Angie up. Stephen finally looked up a them when he heard a loud smack sound, seeing Ray with a shocked look on his face with his hand on his cheek.

"Don't you touch me, you fiend. Only Stephen is allowed to touch me at all." She snapped, shoving Ray away from her. Stephen shook his head at the scene, pulling himself off the ground when he froze, a voice carrying to his ears from the bus, a voice he knew.

"All right, secure your seatbelts, ladies. We'll be leaving for Tokyo Tower now, so please, do not get up from your seats at any time. We don't want any of you lovely ladies damaged." Said the chilling voice.

'Viper! That's Viper's voice.' Stephen thought wildly, whipping his head towards the bus. Sure enough, there was Viper sitting in the driver's seat of the bus in a uniform, his head topped with a bus driver's hat. He looked at the young man standing in front of the middle of the aisle, a guy with silvery hair and sunglasses on, wearing the same bus driver's uniform as Viper. Before Stephen could get up, Viper closed the bus door and disappeared with the bus down the street.

"He's here….what's he up to?" Cyrus mumbled to Stephen, unaware that Angela and Ray were behind him.

"I don't know, but it can't be good." Stephen replied, jumping with a start as Ray clamed his hand down on his shoulder.

"Whoah! Hold it! I come in peace. What can't be good? What were you looking at?" Ray gasped, leaping back from the startled youth and cat.

"Uh…nothing, just….uh….nothing. I thought I saw a mugging, but I was wrong. Just a couple arguing, dopey me. Heh, heh, how about we go see your grandfather now….huh?" Stephen chuckled out nervously, petting Cyrus' head a bit too hard, making the animal's face seem to squish.

"Oh…ok, yeah, we should make sure he isn't doing anything he shouldn't be. Last thing we need is a lawsuit over his wandering hands, Ray replied, leading them inside the dojo," I love my grandfather to death, but he's a bit senile, more than usual with all the problems with the dojo. I don't want him getting arrested for molesting some poor girl that he'll forget about. Grandmother and me, we just don't have the heart to send him to a home….he's all we have."

"Trouble? What kind of trouble?" Stephen asked, still petting Cyrus head into his neck. Ray sighed, his head swinging lightly from side to side," Girls disappearing….it started happening last week when some guy came to talk to my grandfather about expanding his advertising for the dojo, weird blonde guy with these funny red eyes. Gave me the chills, but he gave grandfather all of these ivory pieces for him to carve stuff on. He even supplied the paints and tools to do it. We've been getting a lot of money from selling them, but the guy never came to collect like he said he would. Grandfather's been putting it in our bank account ever since and we've been able to use some of it to pay off some debts and get new equipment for the dojo, but the thing was that most of our customers started disappearing. You wouldn't believe how many times the cops have bothered my grandparents and tried to put the blame on them. My grandfather's wandering hands didn't help matters, but they have no real proof that my grandfather did anything. Still, I feel bad for all of those poor families whose daughters have disappeared."

"Only girls?" Angela said at last. Ray nodded. 

"Yeah, it's the strangest thing. I've seen them all get on the bus that comes here every day. Even stranger, the cops said no bus driver in the entire company says that they have seen any of the missing girls. They say no one is ever around the dojo for them to pick up when they come. I've seen the bus, number 666, come and go each night to take those girls to Tokyo Tower. The company told the cops they have no such bus, but I've seen it." Ray said, his voice a bit nervous, as if what he'd said scared him.

Stephen looked back at Angie, her expression stiff and serious as she nodded to him, mouthing 'Viper' at him and Stephen nodded back.

"Sounds terrible. I hope they find those girls soon and whoever's been running off with them. Nasty thing, all that suffering of such innocent people. I must be hard on everyone." Stephen replied, his petting starting to cease on his cat.

"Especially on Grandmother, she may look cheerful, but it's just a front. I hear her crying at night sometimes. She thinks she'll lose Grandfather like she did my parents…but well…that's another story. I really don't want to talk about it anymore. Don't want glum faces at the dinner table," he began, opening the doors to a large room full of exercise and training equipment," Welcome to the training room. Hey, and there's Grandfather….with kiss marks all over his face. GRANDFATHER!"

Ray wasted no time in running towards his grandfather, the old man looked very content and was simply beaming over something, but suddenly his beady little eyes sharpened at the charging youth. He charged right at Ray and leapt up in the air in his black kimono, his sandal covered and wrinkled foot aimed at his grandson. Stephen nearly choked on his breath as Ray did a swift split, getting back up in a split second to do a handstand leap, planting all the force of his body into his feet, crashing them into his grandfather. The old man smacked down on the floor, sliding across it to stop at Stephen's sneakers.

"Holy….I mean d….oh, what can I say in a temple that doesn't insult it?" Stephen rasped, his eyes wide with amazement. He found that Angela looked just as surprised as he did, her draw hanging slack at the scene.

"That was incredible." Was all she could say. 

"Ditto!" Stephen let out, his face still shocked even as the old man got up and went back towards his grandson. Ray was standing in the same place he had kicked his grandfather from, a small smile on his lips. "Ah, Ray-san, you can still best your grandfather, no matter how old I am. Ah, you still beat me, with all my knowledge. Good attack, grandson. Maybe next time I will beat you." The old man said, patting his grandson on the back. Ray smiled at him, and returned the gesture.

"Gramps, you taught me everything I know. Of course I can beat you. You're too distracted with all those girls who kiss you for all your comments. If Grandmother sees you like this, she'll cook you for supper." Ray said, yanking a hanky out of his jacket pocket and began wiping his grandfather's face clean.

Stephen marveled at how even though the old man and younger man were the same height, Ray was treating his grandfather like a child. It was as if the young man was caring for two children, not two elderly adults. His grandfather seemed to take it better than his grandmother had, hanging his head in shame as his grandson scolded him.

"Grandmother is cooking supper now, for us and my new friends. This is Stephen Tsukikage and the young lady is Angela Furosuto. I met them at the arcade today." Ray beamed, stuffing his lipstick smeared hanky back in his pocket.

"Wonderful. I hope its her spicy chicken dish….or maybe some sweet shrimp and shiitake. Ahh, your grandmother bless her heart, she spoils us so with delicious meals. With all this money we've been getting…she can get more each day so we can have wonderful meals everyday. Not take-out, yuck, such greasy, horrid foods." Mr. Hitodama complained, smiling at Stephen and Angela almost apologetically.

"No, Gramps, I know you don't like modern food like we arrogant youngsters. If you and Grandmother had your way, we'd be eating sushi and fugu every day. I can't really get used to cop food if I get spoiled on Grandmother's traditional cooking. A little grease never hurt anybody."

"Not when she's dead….Oop," Stephen mumbled, biting his lip as Ray stared at him," I mean, its not that greasy foods are alive or anything….You're not hurting anything with a little grease. Eh, heh, heh, you know?" 

"Eeee….yeah, whatever you say. Uh, Gramps, why don't you go help Grandmother in the kitchen while I show them the rest of the dojo grounds. She's about ready to come after you herself, you don't want that now, do you?" Ray said.

His grandfather nodded heartily and both men bowed to each other. Then Mr. Hitodama ran off, leaving the three teenagers behind. "Gotta love them, they keep this place interesting," Ray added, gesturing for them to follow him," Come on, we have a garden training area out back. It's for a more natural experience. Come on."

Stephen went first, Angie following slowly behind both boys steadily. Ray opened another door that led back into the cool night air, the traditional garden splayed out before them. Stephen had never seen anything so spectacular in his life. There were small bamboo bridges over numerous ponds, the bright, darting of Koi fish swimming within the crystal clear waters. There were some cherry trees a ways off and some bonsai and orchid gardens as well, some near the stone wall that separated the dojo grounds from other property and others were by the glittering ponds.

He couldn't help but smile at it all, but he also couldn't help but feel it was familiar to him. 'What's this strange feeling in my heart…have I been here before? Or have I been somewhere similar. I can't remember, yet….t makes me feel warm all over. What don't I remember?' he thought.

He was lost in his trance for a few minutes before Ray slapped his hand onto his shoulder, making him jump a bit. "Really something isn't it? I used to climb all those trees when I came to live with my grandparents. I don't recommend swimming in the ponds though, I got grounded for a month for crushing one of the fish. The damn things are so fragile….and dumb. What do you think, pal?" Ray said, smiling brightly out at the garden.

"I think its really something….makes me want to take up martial arts again….maybe go through it all the way this time. It must have been interesting getting to grow in such a….cultured place." Stephen said.

"Yeah, guess your parents knew what was good for them and stayed in modern society instead. I'd go crazy with all of this peace and quiet. Where are your folks anyway? Next door?" Angie spouted haughtily.

Stephen heard Ray make a small grunt, his hand tightening for a moment on his shoulder before he answered in a low voice. "Well, Father is a politician, I never see him much anymore, but….my mother is….dead…."

Stephen felt him let go of his shoulder at last, then turned his head to watch the dark-haired youth go back inside the dojo. Stephen gave Angie a dirty look, shaking his head at her in disgust. "Do me a favor and don't speak. Your mouth is poison." Stephen hissed at her, running after Ray without her. 

"Hey Ray! Wait up!" Stephen shouted, slowing his pace as he found Ray leaning on the booth his grandfather had been selling ivory from. He looked a bit sullen, his eyes aimed down at the wooden floor. "She shoots her mouth off a lot. Its not easy to get used to….but she didn't mean any harm," Stephen offered, getting a shrug from Ray," How long?"

"Since I was four….Mother got killed in America, a drive-by shooting. Just a couple of stupid teenagers who thought guns were the answer to being tough. Father shoved me to the pavement, then tripped….but Mother got hit far more than he did and fell on me. I don't have any aunts or uncles, so Father and I moved back here to live with my Dad's parents. That's why I am in military school and why I want to be a cop, so no other kids and families have to go through what I did. I know, it sounds pretty dumb, but….well, you weren't there." Ray said quietly, sucking in a sharp breath. Stephen could tell he was trying to hold back the tears, the cracking of his voice paining him just by hearing the tale.

"It's not silly, protecting people is a good thing, I know. Look, we don't have to talk about all that anymore if you don't want to. I'm basically as much a stranger to you as you are to me. You didn't have to tell me all that." Stephen offered. Ray lifted his head a bit, and smiled for a moment, nodding. 

"Yeah….that's true. I'm sorry, it's just well, no one's ever mentioned my parents in a long time. But, like you said, you two, I barely know you. It was an honest mistake. I doubt she'll do it again, right?" he said, almost looking anxious about the thought.

"She may be stubborn, but she's not stupid. There are worse people out there than her," Stephen chuckled, stopping as a gong sounded in the distance," Already? You're grandmother sure is fast."

"She's the greatest. I'll meet you back at the house, you go get your friend….that is the right word for her, isn't it? She said you were an item." Ray replied, starting to walk towards the entrance.

"Hell no, she's up for grabs as far as I'm concerned. No matter what she says, there's no way that we'll ever be an item, Ray, trust me on that." Stephen let out.

Ray looked back at him, then off towards Angie who was still standing outside, her back facing them. He grew a wide smile on her face, then trotted off towards the entrance.

**_~ Later ~ _**

"Man, that was something. Even I couldn't top that supper….your grandmother's cooking is great." Stephen piped as they left the dojo, moving away a bit as Angela plodded out, patting her stomach. Ray welcomed her presence with a warm smile, but Angela had her eyes set on Stephen's sour face.

Cyrus was walking by his heels, leaping and forth as he tried not to get stepped on by Angela. "I know….too bad I'm too busy at school to appreciate it all the time. Though, the occasional pepperoni and pepper pizza is a welcomed thing, there's nothing quite like what my grandmother makes. Still, usually she and Grandfather have shouting matches, even with company over. They must be happy about something, heh, maybe the police finally found those girls and Grandfather is off the hook." Ray beamed, still gazing fondly at Angela.

"That would nice, yeah. But if the sickos that took them got so many at one time….well, you'd have to think otherwise. Are they ordinarily that happy when you bring people over your house?" Stephen asked, dodging Angela's arms as she tries to lock with his.

"Well, to tell you the truth, I don't think she was happy about just you. I usually bring maybe one or two guys from my school over the house to do projects, sometimes to train, but well, I've never brought a girl home. Not a ton of girls are in military school…or for that matter, allowed in." Ray said.

Angela looked at him in disgust and Stephen took this opportunity to walk ahead of them towards the bus stop. "Male chauvinism is a sickness. Probably why my mother used a sperm bank and not a man, he'd have probably told her what she could and couldn't do, just like that stupid school of yours tells girls with any strength." She scoffed.

Ray didn't reply for moment, but when he did, his tone was calm and cool. "I didn't make the rules, Angela, guys hundreds of years ago made them when they founded the school. It's not like I go off scaring or beating up girls to make them leave. You shouldn't accuse people of things that are stereotypical, its really rude….not to mention makes you worse than the people you accuse."

Stephen could hear Cyrus moan in a hushed tone as he leapt up into Stephen's waiting arms. "I can almost hear his head being torn off, can't you?"

Stephen nodded, looking back briefly to see Angie swinging her arm at Ray's head. The dark-haired youth dodged it easily and went back to blocking her blows. "Him I can deal with being a knight, at least he has some focus. Hell, I'd hate to see him lose his temper, but he's seems so in control of it, better than Angie the maniac. Her mom has got to be a total fanatical feminist. Too bad Angie decided she needs a man or I'd be safe from her wrath." Stephen grumbled, looking down the street for the bus.

"I think you're being to hard on her. If you don't watch your mouth, you might end up pushing her too far away from you….it could ruin her fighting and judgement in future battles….or at the very worst, hurt her feelings. That will make everything jus come crumbling down you know. You and Gary are really hurting her inside, you know it too." Cyrus spouted. 

Stephen slapped the back of the cat's head and frowned. "She's driving us both insane. You weren't in those trash bins when she was stalking us. You didn't spell like week old vomit when you got home and you certainly don't have to have her hanging all over you like she own you and no one else can talk to you without stating your business with me! I tried being nice, I tried explaining things. I even tried challenging her to another fight yesterday so I could lose and she'd ditch me, but she refused to listen to reason. Being nasty to her is all I have going for me, I can see that hurt in her eyes, I want it there so she will dump me. I don't love her and you know for a fact she really doesn't love me, she knows it too. She's in love with the idea that a man that can beat her is her equal and therefore her soul mate. That's a damn silly concept."

Cyrus looked up at the youth angrily, his tiny teeth bared. "And what is love to you? A tight dress and mask?"

"Hey! Watch or you're going to be hacking those little fangs of yours up with fur balls in a few seconds. I don't love Glamour cause of her fashion sense, well, yes, she has a beautiful figure, but I don't just love her for her beauty. I admire her strength and the air about her. I just can't explain it, but it's not just those things, its like I know her….whenever she's around, I can't help but feel….at peace inside, warm. Go ahead and laugh and say it's the dress, but that's the truth. I don't care if a stupid cat doesn't believe me. I know what I feel." Stephen rasped.

"What do you feel for who?" Ray's voice piped suddenly.

Stephen froze a moment, wondering wildly how much the guy had heard before turning his head around very slowly to face him. "I know how I feel about….my cat. The way he's been biting people lately, I'm wondering if I shouldn't take him to the vet or something. I know he's had all his shots," Stephen said, then gave a wicked glare towards the cat's face," Maybe a few shots in his rear end everyday to calm him down will do the trick."

Cyrus got a look of panic on his furry face, and Ray seemed to notice it. He petted the poor cat suddenly, the panic slipping away into surprise, then the cat calmed all together, purring as Ray went on stroking his forehead.

"Now that's better….that's a good kitty. It's ok about you biting Gary and me we forgive you. You were defending your master, dogs do it, why not cats?" Ray said to Cyrus, who let out a pleased 'Meow.'

"A little scare tactic never hurt either. You'll see." Stephen replied.

"How's that? It's an animal….it just cares about tone, not words. Animals don't understand us anymore than we do them." Ray replied, yanking his hand back as Cyrus made a low hiss in his throat.

"You were saying?" Stephen chuckled, turning his head back to the street as he heard the roar of an engine approaching. He watched the bus lights grow brighter for while then set his attention on what was ahead of him.

"Well, anyway, thanks for inviting us to your house for dinner. When Alan lets you back in the store, maybe we can go one on one on one of the games." Stephen said, looking up slightly as the bus pulled up in front of him.

"Hey, I was banned too. What about me?" Angela cooed.

Stephen didn't even turn around to reply. "What about you? Who wants to play with you, maniac?" Stephen kept his face stiff as he said it, to make sure Ray saw it. Stephen couldn't help it if Ray thought Angela was a babe, Stephen knew she was, but her attitude was what drove him away, her reasons for being in love with him did it even more. He knew perfectly well, as Cyrus had scolded before, that he was being cruel on purpose, but Angela hadn't made being nice very easy.

He brushed the thoughts away as the bus door began to open, his eyes meeting with those of the driver, his red eyes. Stephen nearly swallowed his own tongue as he stared at the driver, the blood red eyes widening as they focused on him, the blonde hair almost raising on end under his dark bus driver's cap. 

Cyrus hissed lowly in Stephen's arms, his claws digging into his skin slightly. Stephen couldn't help himself, staring harder and harder at the shocked man until the red eyes flared, the mouth opening up hatefully. "YOU! And that cat! You led him to me!" Viper raged, the man standing near him whipping his pale face in Stephen's direction. 

Viper gave the man a quick, angry look and the man nodded. He stepped in front of Viper, who had sat down at the wheel again, and grabbed Stephen by the collar, and yanked his startled body into the bus. Angela started towards them but the door swung shut before she could even blink. She slammed hard into the glass, some of it shattering against her body, scraping and cutting her tender flesh. Ray looked distressed as the bus drove off with Angie hanging onto the door, kicking at the glass top get inside.

"Why do I meet all the weirdos? What the hell just happened?" he asked himself, then took off after the bus as Angie started screaming," But this day just gets better and better! Wait till the guys at school hear about this!"

Ray sprinted as hard as he could after the vehicle, his legs going harder and faster the more distance they covered. He was trained to withstand a lot of pain and to tolerate the worst of conditions and missions on field trips and through obstacle courses as long as he could remember once he started military school. Chasing a bus wasn't the best of things for a future cop to do, but it wasn't exactly a major thing. It was easy since buses were so bulky, it would take it a while to pick up a lot of speed. He was thankful he didn't live near any major highways or he'd have never been able to keep up with the bus.

Ray finally got within reach of the bumper, the emergency door handles above it just above his head. He pushed his legs harder again as the bus began to gain some momentum as well, pulling away inches at a time. 'Now or never, these could be those sickos who stole all of those girls. They might kill Stephen and Angie if I lose them. I have to do it, I have to help!!!!' his mind screamed as he took a hard leap at the handles.

One hand latched onto a handle, but the other slipped off, making Ray's feet drag for a minute or so before he got his bearings and got his other hand on the second handle.

'Wait till they stop, but keep an eye on them. If they see you, Angie and Stephen might get killed on the spot….then me.' He thought, angling his body away from the lower window portals under the handles. He bet he looked absolutely ridiculous holding onto the back of a bus shaped like and upside-down "L," but he felt he could live with the humiliation if he got through the whole thing alive.

He looked back at the street behind him, mildly curious as to who was viewing the scene, hoping they would call the real police and stop the maniacs who'd kidnapped the lot of them, but his mouth went dry when he didn't even see the street anymore. He didn't even see buildings, all Ray Hitodama could see was living twilight and wisps of green smoke replacing the streets. 

What was worse were all cocoon-like growths hanging in what was once the knight sky, red silhouettes writhing inside them. 'What the hell is going on? Where are the buildings, the cars? For that matter, how is this thing driving without any roads? Smoke trails aren't roads.' He thought, then pressed his lips together tightly as the bus started to slow.

He waited a few minutes after it stopped to peer inside the bus. He saw the bus driver was leaving the inside, but Stephen and the other man were nowhere in sight. He quickly slipped off the back of the bus and crawled under it to look for them, keeping his body hidden behind the large tires as he crept.

"White hair….you should wear a wig, pretty boy, makes you less noticeable, but I guess you humans are too stupid to learn about stealth. I don't know why, but you always turn up when you're not wanted. I saw you at the charm store, I saw your damn hair seep out of that pitiful disguise of yours….Moon Knight is sending you to spy on us, isn't he? Talk or I'll have my friend here cut off a finger every time you make me wait." He heard a voice screech, a familiar one. 

"Yeah, that's the guy who sold my grandfather all that merchandise crap….what the hell is he doing driving a bus to the Twilight Zone? And what's Stephen got to do with him?" he whispered to himself.

"Tell me now! If you won't talk, you won't be very handy to Moon Knight anymore. But then we'll have to cut other things off, then once we turn you into chop meat, we'll find that pretty little orchid-haired friend of yours and start chopping her into little tender pieces….and your stupid cat, wherever that ugly pussy ran off to. You hear me, you're dead if you don't talk. Talk and I might spare your life to live as my slaves in the Dark Universe. The choice is yours." The man spouted, ramming his right foot into Stephen's jaw. 

Ray felt bad for him, but he knew he couldn't help him right now. The two men were positioned in front and behind him, the other man holding Stephen's arms behind his back, Stephen on his knee's with a bloodied mouth.

"I have to help, but how? What can I do? I don't know what I'm dealing with….I can't go in without a plan." Ray whispered to himself, gasping sharply as something brushed up against his hand. He looked towards it and found Stephen's cat Cyrus was 

just sitting there, the crescent moon bald spot on his forehead glowing gently, then returning to normal. He didn't think much of it until he saw something was on his hand, or rather his ring finger. It was a ring of black and red, the red being a small fireball symbol that was warm on his skin, pleasing. It felt terribly enchanting, yet familiar.

"Mars Knight, welcome back." The cat whispered, giving Ray the second greatest shock of his life. "You…you talked…."he stuttered, but Cyrus shushed him. "No, time, he need your help. Just say 'Mars Fire, Transform," and leave the rest to your will. If your sword can't defeat them, look into your heart, focus and call upon the fire within it. That should aid you better. Just transform! They're about to cut a finger off!" Cyrus yelped sharply, Ray turning in horror with his ring aimed at the scene. 

The man that had been holding the white-haired youth was gone, only tattered clothing remained at the new hostage-holder's clawed feet. He saw metal, claws, and all of Stephen's fingers being help out by the other man, the strain on the youth's face stabbing into ray's heart.

"**_Mars Fire, Transform_**!! ARGHHHH!!!!" Ray screamed, incredible, white-hot pain infecting every vein in his body.

Viper heard the shout, turning swiftly to locate it. He got a knee in the groin from behind as Stephen shoved back on his attacked, breaking free and making a run for the back of the bus.

"Argh, idiot! Get him! What kind of a monster are you!!??" Viper yelled, slamming his hand into the side of the bus.

"Yes sir! I'll dice whoever's in here!" the metallic and spiky skinned monster hissed out, following after where the white-headed human had gone to. 

A few seconds later, he was sent flying back into view, Viper's eyes widening as his attacked stepped out from behind the bus. It was a young man, wearing black armor all over his body, the helmet hiding his eyes and most of his head from Viper's view, only showing the pale, stiff mouth beneath the mask. He held a shining black sword, aimed directly at the dazed monster, but in seconds he aimed his sword at Viper himself.

"I presume you are also the enemy, the one who's been kidnapping innocent girls. Prepare to meet your maker, slime bucket." The black knight said, approaching Viper bravely, his sword still extended.

"I have better things to do than play with you, insect. Sliver isn't so easily defeated, he's a great Dark Universe warrior. Consider yourself fortunate to not be fighting me. I have energy to deliver. Sliver, dismember him!" Viper hissed, crossing his arms over his chest in a flash as the knight charged at him, vanishing from sight.

"Shit! Come back you coward! Fight me like man, pay for your crimes against the innocent!" Mars Knight screamed, jamming his sword into where Viper had last stood, gritting his teeth together angrily. He wasn't allowed the time to rage about the loss, numerous scraping sounds approaching him rapidly filling his ears.

He turned around in time to see the metal monster Sliver charging at him this time, his long, angular claws screaming for his flesh, numerous spikes, big and small, protruding from his back. 

"**_Ice Slash_**!" was screamed over his head, a woman in light blue armor and black skirt landing front of him. She slashed her own sword at the creature, sending a few blue spirals of cold at it. Mars felt despair take over as Sliver jumped out of the way and landed between Mars and the young, armored woman.

Both of them jumped back and held their swords up, the monster looking almost whimsical in expression about the situation. "Oh, pretty girl, nasty boy, and that pretty boy….oh, what to kill first. I haven't the foggiest idea….who will scream the loudest!!" the thing cackled, its laugh like nails on a chalkboard. 

The woman seemed to take the challenge to heart, her mouth twisting with anger. Only when she spoke, or rather screamed, at the monster did Mars confirm who she was, his eyes still on her orchid colored hair. 

"Oh yeah, you over-buffed hood ornament!!? Well taste my steel you lousy chrome domed bastard!! Hyaa!" she yelled, bringing her sword down on the things waiting metal skull.

'Angie? Angie is a super hero? Hey, we're both super heroes, this is too weird!' he thought.

He expected the thing's head to split open upon impact, brains and blood of whatever sort this thing had to come shooting out, but all he heard was a loud clanging sound, then the horrid laughter of Sliver.

"Oh, that tickles. Give me more, baby, then I'll show you my sword once I have Prince Viper make you my love slave. Hah! My undead love slave! Hurt me more! MORE!" Silver screamed, two very long and sharp looking spikes growing on his shoulders.

The armored Angela looked even more enraged and went on attacking Silver, the monster welcoming every attack. He offered parts of his body to her, being utterly openhearted about every single hit. He went on laughing the harder and more she struck out at him, even being so bold as to stick what Mars figured was his rear end out to her, more deadly spikes and protrusions growing all over his body. 

When Angela finally ended her assault, Sliver was still laughing, stick his arms and legs out to her. "What? Wasn't it good for you, baby? Oh, no, well, come on. Use your little girly ice attack on me. Come on, I'm being a good sport about this, hit me with your best shot, bitch!" Sliver taunted, spreading his spike lined arms out to the sides," Show me yours, baby, and I'll show you mine."

"Oh you! Go to hell! **_Ice Slash_**!!" she screamed, tears of rage leaking out her mask, her sword letting out the tendrils of cold. Mars watched in horror as it hit sliver and bounced back at Angela, hitting her square in the back as she tried to avoid it. She fell as the ice laced her back and crept down her arms legs, paralyzing her on the smoky ground.

"Oh, that felt cool, I mean that," Sliver chuckled, looking back at Mars for a few moments before looking back at Angela," Don't worry, you'll get your chance, wimp. You got lucky punching me….to bad little Miss Sword didn't think to use her fists instead of her steel. And speaking of which, time to skin myself a very delicious looking mouse."

Mars watched him for what seemed like an eternity, seeing his own shocked expression mirrored back at him through Silver's spikes and metal skin, his mouth twisting angrily as he brought up his black sword. 'Focus….focus on the fire within, the fire within, I have to save her. I have to….its my duty….as a human being. Fire, fire, fire….hell! Hell!' he thought, the sword starting glow a bloody red.

"Hell….fire of hell, **_Raging Hell Fire!!!!_**" Mars screamed, doing a hard pin with his body, his sword coming alive with swirls of fire. As he stopped his body, four massive fireballs leapt from his sword and crashed into Silver's exposed back and sent him flying over Angela's head. He hit the smoky ground, liquid metal spattering all over.

Sliver got up, but it was more of a stagger than anything else. Most of his spikes were broken or melted and there was a gaping hole where a normal person's heart would be. "How? Nothing hurts me…nothing!" Sliver gargled out, his chin starting to liquefy and dribble down his chest in thick, shiny chunks.

"Keep telling yourself that. Tell them nothing sent you to hell. **_Raging Hell Fire!!!!_**" Mars yelled again, the fireballs rushing right at the melting Sliver, sluggishly and pitifully trying to move, but his feet were engulfed in liquid metal. He let out a final high pitched scream as the fireballs met with his body, his metallic form boiling away into the cold, twilight air.

"Oh yeah!! I bagged a baddie! Yes! Hail to Mars Knight!" he cheered, raising his sword in triumph over his head. "Yeah, while you're hailing yourself, how about getting this ice off of me. Stephen! Cyrus! Get your butt's out here! I'm freezing!" Angela shouted.

Mars felt a blush creep up his cheeks, feeling embarrassed that he'd forgotten so quickly about her and the others. He rushed to kneel beside her and began rubbing at her frozen legs, making the ice melt the faster his hands moved. He heard footsteps rushing towards him, and felt a wave of relief wash over him as he saw Stephen's face near his, his hands rubbing at Angela's arms.

"Nice work, Mars….you put Mercury here to shame. Who'd have thought, a metal monster that feeds on metal attacks, but he can't take the heat. Heh, glad to have you aboard." Stephen said heartily. 

"Mercury? Then who are you in this outfit?" Mars asked, seeing Stephen shrug. "The knight everyone wants to behead first, Moon Knight. If I'd had know how stupid Viper was, I never would have worried about hiding my hair. I'm the leader….according to Cyrus here. His little bite, he did it to me, to her….and he'll probably keep doing it until we find the other knights, wherever they are," Stephen replied," Damn, Mercury, why can't you just think before you act for once. You could have been kill by that freak. Cyrus, how are we supposed to unfreeze her in a hurry. There's no telling how long this place will remain as is with Sliver dead."

Cyrus cocked his head to the side, the leapt onto Mercury's back. His forehead glowed brightly, nearly blinding both of the young men. When the light was gone, Mercury's body was free, not a bit of ice left on her body. "I can't do this all the time, Mercury, so try and show some restraint. The came goes for all of you. I can't help you non-stop. I'm not a hospital. As for this dimension, it's already starting to break down. We should be home soon. I suggest you two think yourself back to normal before we all return to the real world so when we get there, no one will really pay much attention to us." Cyrus announced.

The knights obeyed him, their normal forms emerging from under the armor as the smoke started to fade, the purple haze of the twilight realm becoming black and white, a normal night sky with stars. As the buildings and streets became visible to them all, they saw the cocoons start to fade out as well, the captive girls within slowly floating to the streets, cars and pavement below them. "We better start running now, the police are going to question why the grandson of the accused kidnapper is surrounded by many of the unconscious girls." Cyrus added, taking off in the opposite direction of the dojo. Ray went in the opposite direction as Angela and went off down a side alley and Stephen went after Cyrus, leaping over the sleeping females' bodies as they went.

Ray made it back to his home as fast as he could, hearing sirens screaming in the distance as he reached his room. He shut the door quickly and let himself slide down it, his heart and veins pumping madly. He sat there for while, utterly quiet and staring at his window, the shade pulled back to show off the beautiful night sky to him. Then his brown eyes aimed down at his right hand, the fire ring still gleaming beautifully on it.

"Thank you God, thank you for giving me the power….the power to finally be a hero. Thank you." He breathed, a single tear of joy escaping his eye, sizzling away as it landed upon his ring.

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***Hitodama** means- supernatural fiery ball

****Tsukikage** means- moonlight


	6. Ch 6The Razorblades Sigh

Chapter 6 **__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the** "Sailor Moon" **series. This goes along the lines of the original series, but an alternate dimension. Trust me, eventually, my knight will meet the scouts. Patience is a virtue, so awaiting that moment won't be so bad. REVIEW!!

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Chapter 6

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The Razorblades Sigh 

Monday mornings had always been a pain in the ass for Stephen for as long as he could remember. Maybe it was because it was the beginning of a new week's worth of school, or perhaps it was simply the fact of getting up early. Either way this Monday was shaping up to be a typical Monday. Even before Stephen had made it out of his house his mother asked him to walk his little sister to school. Normally she would have driven her but the family car was in the shop. 

Begrudgingly, Stephen accepted this task and walked an extra twelve blocks to his sister's school. Then it started to rain, and now here he was in Political Science.

"Mr. Tsukikage, that vacant look in your eyes tells me your not paying attention." Grumbled Mr. Wallace.

"Huh? Oh I'm sorry, it's one of those boring days, if you know what I mean." Stephen sighed, rubbing his eyes wearily.

"No, I don't know what 'you' mean. As I was saying, today we are going to have a guest speaker, I want everybody to be on his and hers best behavior. PLEASE PAY ATTENTION!" instructed Mr. Wallace, glaring at Stephen.

"I feel like your directing that comment at me." Stephen chided in a bored and knowing tone.

"Brains on top of good looks, no wonder that young lady with the orchid hair is so crazy about you." Retorted Mr. Wallace, with a definite smirk on his face.

Stephen could hear the muffled sounds of laughter from the students around him. Undoubtedly, his face was now a fine shade of red. If Mr. Wallace had noticed, he never let on. Instead the teacher stepped out of the classroom and returned seconds later with the company of another man.

"Class this is Mr. Johto, he is the schools new guidance counselor. PLEASE show him the same respect you show me." Mr. Wallace announced, eyeing Stephen again.

'I'll show you some respect…' fumed Stephen, still upset about the mention of Angela. It was bad enough that his peers knew about her obsessions, but now the staff knew too.

"Hello class my name is Theodore Johto, but you can call me Ted. As of today I am your new guidance counselor. For those of you not very familiar with what a guidance counselor does let me be the first to clarify. A guidance counselor is not just a person who deals with students who have disciplinary, family, and personal issues. That's actually as far from the truth as possible. I am here to help each and everyone of you," exclaimed the young man," It seems like more and more today we hear about the evils going on in this earth. There is so much pain and so much hate that we all just need someone to talk to. Please let me be that person for you." Digging into his pocket the young man produced several small cards.

"Now I know we all have our own inner demons and pains, so I'm just going to leave my business cards here. If you ever need someone to talk to please don't hesitate in calling me. " he finished, before leaving with smile and his cards on Mr. Wallace's desk.

~

After class not much else was said about the young school counselor, like most other speakers that visited classrooms their speeches were soon forgotten amongst the confusion of everyday school life. Lunch came and to all the students dismay lunch had to be taken inside due to the rain. Stephen wasn't exactly thrilled by the prospect of this since most of his homeroom class he was forced to eat with were complete jerks. On the other hand one of his most trusted and valued friends also shared this homeroom so it wasn't like he was gonna be completely alone.

Mark Tepes sat alone in the back of the classroom idly nibbling at his sandwich. Once he noticed that Stephen had entered the room his face brightened up. Stephen couldn't help but smile back at his friend. Mark was the type of person whose personality brightened up even the darkest of situations. Stephen often criticized Mark for being an optimist when secretly he wished that he could hold such a positive view on any situation. 'Especially with the super evil Dark Universe monsters I have to deal with now.' He thought crudely.

~

Noticing his friend approaching, Mark smiled. "Hey there, Romeo." He greeted with a smile.

"Urgh! So you've heard the rumors too?? Have you no shame? It's embarrassing enough knowing it myself." Stephen groaned, taking a seat beside Mark," What are they all saying anyway? I really don't listen."

True enough, he had never heard the rumors himself. Still, Stephen knew that there must be something circulating through the school, there always was with the maniac loose. It seemed like every time he walked down the halls there was someone pointing and whispering.

"Oh you know, just the usual stories about the white-haired genius and his amazon lover. You sure know how not to pick them," Mark commented with a small smile," You know that whole thing with you fighting for her in front of the entire school didn't help matters out any. There were actually lots of fine ladies who had their eyes on you until then. Now they are too scared to even look at you. I can't say I blame them either. I don't think I'd like to have that Angie girl mad at me either."

"What girls? I never noticed any." Stephen said, looking like a scared rabbit.

"That's one of your great flaws, you never pay attention. Trust me, there were plenty of girls that had their eyes on you. Now that you have that amazon all over you, all of those poor girls' hearts are broken." Mark mock scolded.

"Just imagine how I feel. She's following me around like a lovesick puppy, not a rabid lovesick puppy. I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't come marching through that door any second." Stephen moaned, hating the conversation more and more.

No sooner than those words left Stephen's mouth did the purple headed menace step into his homeroom. Though Stephen expected to hear snickering at any moment there was none. Perhaps no one cared about his personal life or maybe they feared

Angie's wrath. Either way, all were silent as she made her way through the classroom and towards Stephen.

"Speak of the devil…." Mark mumbled between biting into his apple.

Stephen just sat there with an annoyed look on his face. "Even the devil would run away screaming from her, man. She's crazed. Ah no…here she comes. Not again, not now." He said, trying to stuff his mouth full of food rapidly and looking at it all intently as Angie got closer.

When she reached him, she sat on his desk and patted his head as if her were a puppy, smiling coyly. He growled softly at her, then rethought the urge to bite her hand. She might consider it kinky or a love bite. He simply shoved her hand away and looked at Mark purposely.

"Hello, Snowflake. I snuck out of class to see you." She cooed, Mark trying to stifle a giggle upon hearing her nickname for Stephen. He turned and saw Stephen's face redden further, whether out of embarrassment or anger, he didn't know.

"Declare a holiday. Go back or I'll tell the principal." Stephen grumbled. 'Anger….man, he looks about ready to boil his own skin off he's so pissed off.' Mark thought.

Angela ignored the comment and got in Stephen's lap. His white-haired friend's face paled suddenly, looking almost scared out of his wits at the actions. Pretty soon, she was nuzzling his neck and keeping him in a tight embrace. Stephen was struggling, but Angela kept him in his seat. Mark would have helped Stephen out at any other time, but this was Angela Furosuto, the toughest girl in school. He valued his future to procreate a bit too much to try and dislodge her from his friend, lest he'd regret it.

He didn't have to feel guilty long when Mr. Wallace returned from the halls and saw Angela slobbering all over Stephen. He stood and watched it a moment, Stephen finally noticing this and giving him a nasty glare. Mr. Wallace chuckled a bit before slowly sauntering over to them.

"Miss Furosuto, this is not your homeroom class. Do you have a pass to come here?" the teacher asked, still chuckling. Angela looked up briefly before ruffling Stephen's hair, Stephen shutting his eyes in his annoyance. "Does true love need a pass to grow, sir? I think not." She sniffed, hugging Stephen again. This time Stephen shoved at her, knocking her into Mr. Wallace's waiting arms.

"That's very sweet, miss, but its not enough. You will go directly to the principal's office with me to get your detention scheduled. Come with me." he sighed, giving the disgruntled girl's arm a sharp tug to get her moving. After a minute of fighting it, Angela sighed and gave in, not before blowing Stephen a kiss as soon as she neared the door. 

Mark nearly fell over laughing with the scared rabbit look on Stephen's angelic face, seconds before he dove for the floor to avoid the kiss. "You're screwed, you know that." Mark chuckled, trying his best to sound sympathetic. Stephen just groaned as he crawled back into his seat. "You have no idea, Mark, no idea whatsoever."

Mark though nothing much of the comment, after all, he and Stephen were used to not having great luck in much of anything but their strong points, Stephen's being his brains and good looks and Mark being his kind heart and skills in art. He was a bit jealous of Stephen's lithe and slender built body, not particularly happy with his own pudgy body and shaggy hair. Looks and brains weren't everything, Stephen had said that once a few months back, the cool depths of his icy eyes seeming to shimmer as he did. Stephen never judged on appearance, unless it was attacking him. He got to know people, those he noticed when his head wasn't in the clouds.

Mark was pretty honored that Stephen wanted to remain his friend, since the guy was popular by appearance and his brainy reputation. He felt bad for Stephen sometimes, since he rarely made other friends aside from the guy that owned the arcade, a guy well out of college and with his own business, and the guy's half-brother. Other than those two and himself, those were all the friends Stephen really had. Mark had lots of friends, people who liked him for his pleasant personality and the jokes he told and those in his art classes who loved his work, but Stephen was always in another world, never reaching out to anyone but the familiar. It was if new things and people scared him or he was just too full of his own thoughts and turmoil to bother other people for help. 

He looked at Stephen, who was fast asleep on his desk, his food all gone and his white bangs brushing over his soft lashes gently. Mark smiled at him as he got up, walking towards Mr. Wallace's desk. He saw that most of the student, save for him and Stephen had grabbed up the cards Mr. Johto had dropped there. Mark looked at the remaining cards there, his eyes growing puzzled. There were exactly two left, not more or less, as if Mr. Johto had counted them accurately enough and assumed they'd all take one card each. It made him feel a bit nervous, but then again, perhaps Mr. Wallace had told the speaker how many people were in class. 'It's a silly coincidence, but I don't need one of these cards. Stephen might, he's been acting very strange lately, I wonder if anything is wrong with him. Best I sneak this card in his bag, he'll come across it eventually. He hates it when people try and get in his business, but he's my best friend. If this will help him a little, it's worth a shot.' Mark thought, grabbing up one of the cards and going back to his desk quietly. Stephen stirred a bit, but he didn't wake up. Mark breathed out gently, but kept his eyes planted on Stephen's head as he slipped the card into his friend's bag.

**_~ The Dark Universe ~_**

"Viper, you've done well in providing the Dark Goddess with so many sad souls' life force. Though you have not found the great energy from that brat Moon Knight and those witches he has with him, Mercury and Glamour, but still, life force is more important that piddling your resources around with nothing to show for it. You just might be King you Dark Universe planet after all, Prince Viper." Lord Specter replied in a pleasantly deep tone, rubbing his cheek a bit. His amethyst eyes glimmered a bit, his eyes half shut and one of his onyx bangs fell across one. He did not move to push it away, keeping his amethyst gaze intent on Viper's own bloodstone eyes.

The young prince was on one knee, bowing to his lord with the greatest respect and serenity. He was looking up at Specter nonetheless, an insane fanged smile plastered on his pale features. 

"I thank you greatly, Lord Specter. I have you to thanks for this opportunity to take the Earth as part of our great realm. I will not fail you this time. My plan is flawless." Viper let out, still smiling.

Specter raised an eyebrow at him, no hint of smile coming, nor did the smile. "Don't get cocky. True, teenage human suicide in on the rise all over the world, but you should be thanking my own monster I let you have. You take care with Hydra or you'll wish you never heard his name. Now, get back to my creature and ensure his progress keeps climbing. Go now!" Specter ordered, the prince leaping to his feet in the blink of an eye, his dark energy teleporting his out of Specter's sites.

"Do not fail me, Viper, I won't so generous if you screw up the Dark Universes' plans again…."Specter glowered, his mouth in full frown, eyes wide and maddening.

**_~ Ryozaki Household ~_**

-Night- 

Everett Ryozaki had been sitting on the bathroom floor for 15 minutes now, trying to blot out the fight his parents were having, again. It was always like this, Dad would come home late, dinner wouldn't be ready as personal revenge from his mother for his father's tardiness. She always thought he was having an affair or doing something terrible illegal behind her back each night he was late.

He knew that his mother had a right to worry, but not like this. His father was a good man, he was sure of it. He was a politician, good friends with Ryu Hitodama, Ray's father. He had met Ray a week or so after the boy's mother was killed. He'd seemed a bit angry, but kept it in. Keeping your emotions inside was painful, Everett understood that all too well and became a fast friend with Ray. Even though Ray went to military school and Everett went to Takozona Junior High, they always met at the arcade or at the playing field to hang out and have fun.

Though, in all the years he and Ray had been friends, Ray was the only one to open up about his problems, how much it hurt to see his mother die so horrible and never see his father for months on end. Everett cursed himself for being such a coward, but he didn't want to bother Ray with his problems. The guy had enough to deal with already, his paranoid mother and temperamental father didn't need to be added to the pot.

It had started off innocently enough, his father's first time coming home late. It had been brushed off slightly, though his mother had been worried sick and father promised that he'd never again be late for supper or anything else, but it kept happening. Mother got suspicious, it impeded on her own job as a nurse at the hospital, and even drove her to drink out of worry and even spite that his father was not coming home when he should have been. The life of a politician was hard, sometimes you had to be late coming home, things did happen outside the house that Everett and his mother didn't deal with, but his father did. 

The night he came home smelling of a perfume alien to his mother had started the fights and his father took up drinking. No one ever hit each other, they just screamed at one another all night, his mother throwing things in her drunken rage, his father nearly sober enough to dodge a few of them. It was terrible. Everett would lock himself up in his room or the bathroom until it stopped, but he could still hear it. He'd left the house once and got grounded for going outside without permission, but he could hear the hate in his head no matter how far he'd try to get away from the house.

Life just wasn't fair anymore, he wanted the happy life he'd had with these people as a child, the loving mother, the caring father, no alcohol, no screaming, just the quiet family they were. He knew it had to be his fault somehow, he'd done something that night that made his mother accuse his father of those things, maybe his grades, or he hadn't cleaned his room that night, it had to be something. His mother wasn't really like this, she never was. Neither was his father, it had to be him, something had to be available to him to fix it all to the way it was.

He heard another crash and his father scream a slew of curses at his 'wino' mother. He heard the word divorce come from his mother's mouth, making his skin crawl and eyes well up with white-hot tears. 'No….make it stop, please….someone make it stop. I don't want to hear this anymore….' He thought as the tears began to flow.

Then he fished through his pockets, remembering the speaker that had come to class today, that Mr. Johto. He yanked out the card he'd stuffed in his back pocket and stared at it as another crash sounded in the house. He felt funny inside as he touched it again, as he had when he'd first picked it up, like a great sadness welling up inside his heart, no, his entire body. He dismissed the thoughts as his imagination and read the writing aloud:

**__**

Teen Crisis Hotline

Call: 06669413

We're never too busy to help you end all the pain at once. Please call us and we'll lend a hand in ending your problems for good. We're waiting to embrace you.

It sounded nice enough, he'd been thinking about calling the hotline all day, with the slight hope they could make it all go away. 'No hotline can do that unless they are all powerful. I doubt it can do much more than make me feel better for tonight, but….if it'll blot it out just once, I'll give it a try.' He thought. He stood up to face the sink, and grab his cell phone off it where he'd laid it down when he came into the bathroom. Usually he'd call up his grandmother, but she died last month, there was no one to call anymore. He brought it with him more out of habit that wanting to call the hotline, it had just been on his mind more than anything.

He quickly dialed the number and waited. To his shock and amazement, the line picked up instantly, the voice of Mr. Johto himself answering with," Teen Crisis Hotline, how may I ease your pain?"

"Mr. Johto….? Umm, I….never expected you to be on the phones. This is Everett Ryozaki. I talked to you after class." Everett blubbered stupidly. He heard someone laugh in the background, a creepy almost insane sounding one. Mr. Johto shushed it and said," I remember, and since you asked so nicely, I own this hotline, my sister killed herself because she had no friends a year ago and was very lonely. I made this hotline to prevent other people from taking their lives and having to take their burden all alone. Now, how may I help you?"

"Um, it's my parents. All they do is fight and get drunk to spite each other. My mother throws things at father cause he comes home late from his job, but he's a politician. He's supposed to be late, right? So she gets drunk and throws things at him every time he comes home late. Now he gets drunk to spite her, and they fight every night, throwing things at each other and screaming. Tonight, Oh God, Mom said she wanted a divorce. I don't know what to do…..I just want the pain to stop." Everett let out, feeling slightly better.

Mr. Johto sighed, the other person in the background saying," …..perfect," or something to that effect. "I understand your pain, Everett, now, where are you right now. A friend's house maybe?"

"No, the bathroom. Why does that matter, sir?" Everett asked. He heard the man chuckle. "My, my, so close to the edge, aren't you? You've thought about killing yourself often, haven't you? Haven't you, child? Tell me the truth, and I can release you from this pain." Mr. Johto let out, his voice hollow yet strangely hypnotic. Everett felt strange all over, but it was a calming effect. He didn't understand why, but it was so inviting, the shrill sounds of his parents fighting leaving him completely.

"Y….yes, I have. I bought razorblades once, when the fighting had been going on for over a year. I wanted to escape….yes, to escape. I want to escape….from my pain. Tell me how." Everett said lucidly, dropping the card and swaying his body back and forth at a gentle pace.

"All you have to do….is die for me. Right now." Mr. Johto said, his voice all bubbly, as if he was talking through blood. Everett heard a rumble in the sink pipes, but stayed in place too enchanted by the promise of freedom to do much else. Seconds later, water came out of the sink, living water, as it coiled about like a snake, becoming a shape close to that of a hydra plant. It was swaying the same as he was, as if it was a sacred dance. Then a head formed on each of the swaying tentacles, all bald and smiling as more tentacles arose and wrapped about Everett's head. They were pulling him towards the sink, but Everett didn't seem to mind, looking numbly straight ahead.

Soon his body felt very weak, some sparkling things flooding out of his body and into the water composed hydra thing. He felt tired, so very tired, all sensations leaving him as his face went into the suddenly water filled sink.

~

As the human boy's life ceased, Hydra let go, the boy's face submerged in the water he'd drowned his weakened body in. Hydra's three heads smiled as he pulled his body back into the pipes, back to give Prince Viper the energy of the foolish human.

"Let the razorblades sigh. Hee hee hee! Ah ahahahahaaaa!!" Hydra cackled, his card turning into water as Hydra himself vanished.

**_~ Haitsuchi's Arcade Heaven ~_**

"Ok Ray, why did you call us all here? Not for me to pay for all these drinks now?' Stephen asked for the fifth time. Ray had called him after school the day before, saying something terrible had happened and that he and Angela should come to the arcade the next day to discuss it. Still, Ray looked to upset and nervous to do much of anything but guzzle soda and avoid the question. 

**__**

"Speak up, jerk, my honey asked you a question!" Angela roared, slamming her fist on the table, making one of the drinks spill all over Stephen's cheeseburger. Stephen groaned, but the action had broken Ray out of his silent trance.

"Sorry, I've been thinking about this since yesterday, I had a speech planned for it, but now….sorry. Guess I'm still in shock." Ray said sheepishly. Stephen just nodded, staring in disgust at his soaked meal. "Yeah, I gathered that from how you sounded on the phone. Now what's wrong?" Stephen replied evenly.

"A friend of mine, a close one, Everett Ryozaki, killed himself two days ago, but I don't think he did. I think the Dark Universe is behind it. I know it is….it just doesn't add up. Ev was an ok guy, he was happy. He had no reason to kill himself." Ray let out.

Stephen lifted his icy eyes up to his friend, and blinked. "Everett Ryozaki? He's in my homeroom class. I heard two kids at our school killed themselves, but I never considered Everett. Man….that's terrible, I guess they finally drove him over the line." Stephen gasped, Angela and Ray looking at him stunned.

"What are you talking about? You know Everett?" Ray asked, his voice actually struggling with rage. "Yeah, we teamed up for the science fair last year, or rather were forced to. I went to his house a couple times before he told me we should go to mine, since my parents are never home. You mean you didn't know?"

"Know what?" Ray demanded.

Stephen looked stricken then sad, shaking his head. "His parents were always drunk and screaming at each other. The noise was intolerable. I think they started throwing furniture one night. Poor Ev started crying on the third night, and then he begged me not to tell anyone. I was going to tell though. No one should have live in a house with a pair of violent drunks, but he practically threatened to kill me if I didn't keep quiet. I promised and then we finished the project at my house. I think he nearly cried when it was over, and he had to go back home. Can't believe he wouldn't tell an actual friend about it….he must have been so humiliated to have parents doing that. Still, that's not a good reason to want to die." Stephen replied, Ray's face twitching a little.

"I can't believe this. Why didn't he tell me?? We were great friends and I told him about my mother's death. I thought we could trust each other with everything. Why would he do such a thing? He could have talked to me, not killed himself." Ray exclaimed," And why such a painful and odd way??"

"Odd? What was odd about it? Suicide is a serious thing, Ray, you can't call it odd without telling us why." Angela snapped. Stephen just shook his head. "How did he die, Ray?" Stephen asked quietly.

"He drowned himself in the sink, in the bathroom. No struggle, no marks on his body, so the murder thing was thrown out. I just can't believe he'd want to suffer in death so much as to kill himself slowly."

"Drowned in his sink? What a weird coincidence…..the other kid that killed themselves was a girl from my homeroom class. She drowned herself in her tub. In the same condition you described with your friend. The real weird thing was there were razorblades in a packet on the sink, unopened." Angela gasped.

"Like she forgot to slit her wrists and wanted to die the hard way. That does sound very bizarre. Two deaths by voluntary drowning….that's freaky." Stephen commented, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable.

"They said they found some razorblades and sleeping pills taped under Ev's bed, like he was going to kill himself, but to do it the painful way….I smell the Dark Universe. They had to have done this….I won't accept that Ev would have sooner let himself die than ask for help." Ray grumbled, looking angrier with each word.

"I wish we knew where this Mr. Johto lived, or where the hotline operates. I didn't grab his card from homeroom when he spoke in class. Everyone but me and Mark, then again, I fell asleep, so I couldn't take one even if I had wanted to." Stephen yawned, then cast his eyes on Angela.

"Why would you need some silly man to help you. You're not in any crisis, Snowflake." Angela purred, grabbing onto his arm and nuzzled against his shoulder. Stephen made a sickened face and tried to shrug her off, but to no avail. 

"Not in your opinion, I'm not," Stephen hissed, then gave a another shove and got her off," Between being hounded by you like a rabid dog and being a Galaxy Knight, I should be the one with his face in the sink. Now if you'd get out of my way, I have to go to my session with Gary. Come on, move for your very esteemed leader."

Angela went on smiling and let him pass. He quickly grabbed up his book bag, getting pinched on the butt no matter how quickly he moved. He gave Angela a sour glare, backing away from the table without turning until he was far out of her pinching reach. She blew him a kiss, but he turned away from it and started to jog for the back room. "Maniac….find someone your own species. What a crackpot…..I was happier when she was a feminist like her mother. Why won't some poor dope who does want to date her start a fight with her and let me off the hook?" Stephen grumbled, entering the back room gruffly.

He heard a sniffling as he did, someone was crying. As Stephen looked up, he saw it was Gary, his back to Stephen. He sounded like he was in pain, the soft crying tearing him up inside. Then his eyes wandered to the table, where Gary's sunglasses lay stained with tears. 'He really must be upset about something….he never takes those off. I've never heard anyone in so much pain. Even the way Ray sounded doesn't compare to this.' Stephen thought, his anger subsiding.

"Gary, what's wrong?" Stephen finally breathed out. Gary gave off a slightly yelp, then grabbed his sunglasses violently off the table and put them back on before facing Stephen.

"Oh Stephen, I didn't hear you come in….sorry, its nothing. Just had….a lousy day. It's nothing, let's get on with the session." Gary sputtered, his nose so stuffed his natural nasally voice sounded downright stifling.

Stephen shook his head and slammed his bag on the floor. "No way, friends talk to each other, G-man. Now what is wrong? Some girl reject you? Is Alan in trouble or say something bad to you? What? Don't shut me out, Gary, I'm your friend." Stephen let out, his eyes narrowing tightly on Gary's tear stained face.

Gary shook his head. "No, none of that….and thank you for asking, Stephen….I mean that. Thanks also for not making fun a guy crying his eyes out," Gary offered, getting a reassuring smile from Stephen," It's about college….someone died two days ago. I just found out this morning on the radio."

Stephen stiffened immediately, his smile fading away. "Died? In the college?? How?"

"No, she killed herself, but she was in my anatomy class. Very smart, very pretty….I had no idea she would do such a thing. She had dreams of being a great doctor same as I did. Then this….same day that crisis hotline guy handed out cards to the class." Gary sniffled, a little softer now. Stephen's heart sped up. "Crisis hotline? Was his name Theodore Johto? Did he come two days ago?" Stephen rasped out. Gary looked at him with quivering lips. "Yes, that was the guy. I came back in from the bathroom after he'd handed them out, then made a speech. I never got a card, but something about the guy creeped me out. It doesn't compare to hearing how that poor girl died. Why she'd want to drown herself in the kitchen sink is beyond me."

"That is odd….two kids in my school killed themselves by drowning too, the same day Mr. Johto came to class. I can't believe it….."Stephen gasped, so stunned her dropped his bag, the contents spilling out all over the floor. Gary looked down as the paper and books laced the floor. Then his mouth opened, and Gary got up from his chair to help put it back in.

Stephen looked down dumbly as his friend did this, yelping as Gary drew back his hand in pain when his fingers tried to touch something. "What's wrong? You get a paper cut?" Stephen asked, but Gary shook his head and pointed at something. Stephen followed his friend's finger to a small business card. Stephen was puzzled as to why it hurt Gary's fingers, not even having drawn blood, so he reached down to pick it up. In a split second, his whole body went cold and he wrenched his fingers away from it as if they'd been burned.

"Damn! What the hell was that?" Gary asked, still rubbing his fingers. Stephen shook his head and shoved his books and papers back in his bag, using a notepad to sweep the card in too. "I have no idea, it was like sub-zero ice, so cold it burned. And….it…..it made me feel….depressed. Over the top depressed for a split second. Weird…." Stephen let out at last still eyeing the spot where the card had been.

"Same here. What do you think it means?" Gary asked. Stephen shook his head, then bit his lip as he began thinking really hard. "I think we should cancel the session for tonight. It's not like I don't know how to do this work on my own. I'll just kill time at ray's house until I have to go home. You probably need some time alone, to deal with your friend's death."

"What about you? What are you going to do with Ray anyway?" Gary asked quietly, finally getting to his feet. "Stephen shrugged, getting up as well. "Discuss our problems….indefinitely." Stephen replied.

**_~ Shinden Fenikkusu Doujou~_**

_(Sacred Phoenix Dojo)_

"So what changed your mine, glorious leader?" Ray spat, his arms crossed over his dark T-shirt. Stephen had come out of his session in a daze earlier, not even fighting off Angela as she planted a kiss on his cheek. As emotionlessly as he had reacted to it, he looked at Ray, and said," I think you're right." Then the three of them took a bus to Ray's home. They had enjoyed another wonderful supper all thanks to his grandmother, but Stephen still looked like he was off somewhere else, his icy eyes glazed slightly in the fog of his own thoughts. 

Now they were all in his bedroom, Ray in his desk chair, Angie lying on her stomach on his bed, and Stephen leaning nonchalantly against the door. He looked up again, a little startled, his thoughts obviously broken at Ray's words. "Gary said….a girl in one of his classes killed herself that night the others did, by drowning herself. I called the newspaper when I excused myself from supper tonight to ask if there were anymore drowning suicides…..and" Stephen said, his words trailing off.

Angie looked over at him, surprise filling her cerulean eyes. "And what, Snowflake?" she asked, and Stephen scowled.

"And….the guy I talked to said there were thirteen suicides on that same night, seven by drowning in either their sinks, tubs, Jacuzzis, and pools. The rest pretty much appeased nooses and razorblades to do themselves in, but it was how this guys describes the water deaths that convinced me fully that the Dark Universe is behind them." Stephen explained evenly.

Ray nodded, his eyes blinking several times to take in the terrible and shocking news. "The fact that drowning themselves in anything but the ocean seems a bit too painful. If they wanted to drown fast, they could have jumped off a bridge 0r taken pills before leaping in to sink. What else did the guy say?" Ray asked.

Stephen rubbed the back of his head, taking a shaky breath. "Like you said, there were no signs of struggle, but there was one spot of water a ways from all of the bodies, in the shape of a small rectangle, like a business card. I think our dear Mr. Johto is one of Viper's lackeys, and those cards have some kind of spell on them that make people get so depressed they welcome death. I have one of the cards in my bag….I found it when I was talking with Gary." Stephen let out, getting down in a crouch stance as he took his backpack off and dumped the contents on the floor. The card fell out easily, not even bent or dirties by the other contents his bag held. Ray felt uneasy just looking at it, the pit of his stomach lurching about as if it'd been turned into a roller coaster. "I feel great evil coming from it, like pure hatred. I've never felt anything like it….its so….so…." Ray said, searching for the right word.

"Viper….I know" Stephen finished. It hadn't been the word Ray had wanted, but it would have to do. Viper certainly was vicious and cold bastard, that coldness radiating from the card itself. He'd always had sort of a sixth sense about great evil. It had been the same that day he lost his mother, he felt all cold inside, sick and angry. Then the bullets sprayed over his head into his mother's beautiful form, her raven hair soaked with rich crimson, her once pleasant chestnut brown eyes rolling back in her head as the life slipped out of her body. He hated this feeling, it always reminded him of them, the stupid people that used their power wrongly and hurt innocent people with it. He quickly turned his head away in disgust from it, his eyes on Angie now.

She looked angry too, positioned like a cornered panther ready to strike out at everything. Angie obviously felt it too, and she was not one bit happy it was in the same room with her. Stephen on the other hand looked sad, as if the card was affecting him with the memory of those who had lost their lives to trying to reach out for help. Ray recalled his last conversation with Everett, where he'd been asking him about Angela and Stephen, what they were like and their school standings, basic things a new friend wanted to know.

He and Everett had laughed over talking about Stephen, the poor daydreaming genius that had every girl's attention, but he was always off in his own little world, never paying any more attention to anything else. Everett, regardless of how he referred to Stephen as a very dizzy male, said he always wondered what Stephen was thinking about, what kept him so calm and matter-of-fact with everyone, as if he was so carefree and good about it that he seemed to never have any problems whatsoever. Ray silently cursed himself, thinking about his friend's words now rang back to him loud and clear that Everett had made a cry for help that day. Still, Ray hadn't seen the signs or even the hints that Everett was suffering deep down, he wished that his friend had told him about it, maybe he could have saved him. 'No point in thinking about it now. Ev is gone forever, his souls stolen by the dark Universe assholes. You can still avenge him, and all the others Viper took advantage of.' Ray thought, then slammed his hand against his palm.

"All right then, I have an idea, but we're going to have to take some risks in this plan. A trap for that snake in the grass prince of hell." Ray let out in a determined voice. Stephen and Angie looked up, their eyes curious. "A trap, huh? Would this involve bait?" Stephen asked wryly. Ray scowled at him.

"This is no time for chickening out, Stephen. And yes, there is bait. You call that number and tell him you know all about him. Viper already knows, or thinks he knows, that you're Moon Knight's spy. Tell him to meet you at Sakura Gardens, to ransom him. These guys are pretty arrogant, I've seen that much so far in Viper. He's too confident, he overlooks things like us Galaxy Knights, but he also is too stupid to figure out who Stephen really is. Like he adds 2 and 2 and gets 5. Viper will figure you're turning on Moon Knight, that your last encounter with them made you wise up, but you want to make a profit. Good old human greed, Viper won't see through that, the guys isn't too smart when it comes to emotions except anger. Get him angry enough and he'll be ripe for the plucking. So, the plan good enough?" Ray explained, eyeing Stephen sternly the entire time.

Stephen paled, if that was possible, a fine shade of white, nearly matching his shock white hair. "I gather the guy you're staring at is bait," Stephen said quietly, and Ray nodded," Oh fine, since I am the leader, I guess I get to take all these wonderful risks. Dammit, whatever happened to my only problems being my family and my teachers. I miss those days."

Ray just shrugged. "Get to calling the number already. The longer we wait, the more young people Viper takes advantage of." 

Stephen nodded and grabbed up Ray's phone, dialing away with a grim look on his face. "Why is it always me? Why can't the maniac threaten the, she's good at threatening people?" Stephen grumbled, the phone line starting to ring on the other end.

**_~ Sakura Gardens ~_**

Stephen stood by the lake, not feeling very comfortable being near it with the grim reminder that the other suicides all drowned. He had to assume this monster could manipulate water, but to what degree, he wasn't sure. Angie and Ray were in the bushes, transformed into their knight forms and laying in wait for 'Mr. Johto' to show up. It had been a task to anger Johto until Stephen said that he didn't seem strong enough to help him, if he could even fight insults such as his like a man. 

Stephen told them he knew about Viper, and that really clinched it, and the quest for money or else sent Mr. Johto into a rage, his voice getting thick and bubbly. Stephen had completed the trap seconds before slamming the line down, the enraged shouting of the 'man' on the other line too much to bear. It made that sick feeling in his stomach come back, the same one that had erupted when he'd been so close to Onyx and Greese.

Stephen sighed, keeping his eyes on the tranquil lake beside him. It rippled slightly, but it wasn't something to get all bent out of shape over. He thought so anyway. The rippling continued, almost hypnotic, as if some invisible forces kept jabbing something in the water to make it. Then the water started to thrash and bubbled, making Stephen back up. The water looked alive with anger or rather the horrible living things swimming in the toiling whirlpool the section in front of Stephen had created did. They looked like snakes, three of them with heads of toothy skeletons, the loud rush of the water their cries of hate and death.

Stephen sprang backwards, landing on his rump hard as the water burst upward, the snake-things bursting up with them. As the spray cleared out of Stephen's sights, his body soaked thoroughly by the event, he saw the monster for the first time. It was like the body of a man, but with three snaking necks with those horrible skull heads attached to them. It reminded him of Greese, the way this one's body dripped and rippled about like real liquid. Stephen bit his lips as all three heads stared at him.

"So, the hero business not good enough for you, pretty boy? Blackmailing dear Hydra is where it's at? Not in this lifetime, you're future is in an oblong box, a worm buffet! For Lord Specter, you will suffer! RAH!!" the thing bubbled out, the watery body falling on him, then picking him up inside it. Stephen took a giant breath before impact, and now was forced to fight his way out of the watery body. His air would only last two minutes at the most, so his struggles were quick and violent, but nothing did any good. It was if he was trapped in a water filled plastic bubble.

His hands kept meeting with the rubbery barriers of Hydra's body, his lungs aching to breathe new air. 'Can't hold on forever! Mars! Mercury! Help me!' his mind screamed, the watery visions of his fellow knights filling his burning eyes.

~

"NO! Release him now, villain! I'm going to rip you a knew water hole." Mercury screamed, raising her sword up high to slash Hydra up, but Mars grabbed her arm suddenly and yanked her back. 

She slapped him, even as Stephen struggled harder, his air running out within Hydra's body. "What did you do that for, you beast!? My darling is dying!?" Mercury shouted in Mar's face. He picked her up roughly and shook his head. "If you try and cut Hydra, what's to stop him from moving our friend's body into the path of your blade? Nothing, that's what. We have to do this carefully."

"Careful my ass, he's drowning in that fiend! What the hell would you suggest, brute!?" Mercury hissed, then gawked as Mars ran right into a startled Hydra, no blade drawn. Hydra's body dissipated slightly, falling off of Stephen's head. Stephen took a harsh breath his eyes widening with fright as Hydra's body started to creep back over him.

"Now Mercury, Now, ram him!" Mars shouted, starting up his own charge again. Mercury got the idea, if they couldn't harm Hydra with steel, they'd use their bodies. There was only so much matter water could take on if it was limited in amount. Hydra wasn't near the water, but if he got near it, Stephen would die. She ran as fast as she could at where Stephen was within Hydra, his face already turning purple from holding his breath too long, his eyes shut tight and painfully.

His eyes widened and the breath was knocked out of him as Mercury rammed her body through Hydra and into Stephen, Mars slamming through at the same time to Shove them to the side as their great amount of matter made Hydra split apart. 

Stephen and Mercury rolled into some bushes while Mars was still in plain sight. He groaned, struggling to his feet. Mercury had accidentally kicked him in helping him get Stephen out of Hydra, right where it hurt. Regardless of that fact, he had to hold Hydra off long enough for Stephen to gain his bearing again and transform. 'I hope it's soon. Man, Angie packs a wallop.' Mars thought bitterly.

Hydra was reforming, each of his head looking angrier than the first. Mars smiled a bit, his sword readied, but wavering from the lingering pain in his groin. "How dare you, War Knight, how dare you interfere. Still, you were going to die anyway when Lord Specter rules this mud ball. Your friends and that pretty boy can follow once a flood your lungs with my embrace. **_Hydra Wave!_**" Hydra gurgled, waving his hands at the lake. A slim geyser erupted from the water in the shape of a dragon serpent, cobalt blue with a white ethereal mist swirling about it's watery body, then it rushed Mars Knight, roaring.

"Rip him apart, my pet, tear Mars to pieces! Ah hahahahahahaaaa!" Hydra cackled, pointing back at Mars, his water dragon charging faster. Mars dove to the side, rolling across the grass as the water dragon flew past him. It slammed through a tree, turning it into a pile of soaked splinters. Mars barely had time to get back up when the dragon swerved back around and rammed into his back. His feet left the ground as the thing flipped him in the air and grabbed him in its mouth. Mars got the wind back as the thing started to swallow him, intending to drown him as it had tried with Stephen. Mars just grinned, fires forming in his eyes as he tightened his hold on his sword. 'Unlike Stephen, I've got my powers on. Time to show this gutless wonder a little bit of human science classes teaches us about mixing fire and water.' He thought, raising his blade.

"**_Mars Raging Hellfire!!!!_**" Mars shouted, letting the fireballs fly from his dark blade into the screeching beast. The dragon wailed as they ripped through its body, boiling away its form into writhing steam. Mars was grateful when it dropped him as it faded away, but the great heat from the boiled water heated his armor up, scalding his skin. It hurt like hell, but it was better than dying a slow watery death. Sadly, the force of the drop made him lose his grip on his sword.

Hydra was in a rage, running at Mars as he tried to get up, his lengthy necks turning into swords, all aimed at Mars' heart. His blade out of reach, he simple shut his eyes, praying to his mother for hope.

"**_Ice Slash!_**" Lady Mercury's voice rang out, a crackling noise erupting in Mars perked ears. Mars opened his eyes slowly, his chestnut brown eyes glimmered at the sight of Hydra, frozen solid, the sword tips only mere inches from his heart. He backed up a bit, grabbing his sword as he neared it, and stood up, staring at the sparkling ice statue of death. As he looked past the monstrosity, he saw Lady Mercury and Moon Knight running towards him.

"About time, what took you two so long?" Mars asked, his voice a bit nervous, imagining what might have happened if they had taken any longer. Moon Knight smirked, and angled his head at Mercury. "The maniac and me hit rose bushes….Our duds got tangled and snagged in them, then when my shirt rips off, she gets frisky. By the time I got free and transformed, you were riding the dragon. Sorry man, but right now we have Hydra to deal with. If you use your fire attack on him, he might melt and become a nuisance again. More ice won't do us any good…." Moon Knight let out.

"So use your attack, sweets…..then we blow th….ACK!" Mercury began, but was suddenly jerked away by a tendril of water, barbs forming on it that were slicing into her tanned flesh. 

"Mercury!" Moon and Mars said in unison, but only Mars kept his eyes on Mercury. Moon's eyes went to the frozen Hydra. "He's doing it, he can still control the water. If that water touches him, he'll be free in no time. You make sure Mercury doesn't get hurt any worse., I'll send out friend packing." Moon spouted, shoving Mars off towards their fellow knight.

Mars nodded and ran towards Mercury. "**_Mars Raging Hellfire! _**You let her go, slime wad!" Mars shouted, his fireballs sizzling away the tendril, but Mercury was falling now, head first. "NO! LADY MERCURY!!" Mars shouted, running as fast as he could to reach her, but he was just too far away, his eyes widening as she neared the ground, her scream ripping through his soul.

In a dark flash, Mercury was whisked away. As Mars' vision followed the dark streak, he saw Mercury was all right with the exception of a few cuts and bruises. A woman in a sexy black dress, long black hair that shimmered like fine onyx, and a similarly colored eye mask, had saved Mercury. She had a sword on her hip, her armored boots glistening in the moonlight. Mars knew who she was, from the way Stephen had talked about her, after he'd been bopped by Angie to stop his daydreaming about this woman, Lady Glamour.

She sure was pretty, and fast too to grab Mercury like that and not even harm her. Mars smiled at her, but she wasn't looking at him, she was looking at Moon Knight, who was readying his attack. She dropped Mercury swiftly and rushed over to Moon Knight, grabbing him by the shoulders.

"That is one weird girl. Oh….Mercury, are you all right?" Mars commented, rushing to his friend's side. She brushed him off, managing a pained 'yes,' then slipped a grumbling comment as she looked at Glamour and Moon Knight. To him, it sounded like," Hussy."

Mars shook his head, his body finally traveling towards the mysterious woman and their leader, his ears perking to their conversation

"You can't defeat him with just your power. I will lend mine to yours so this creature of despair can never harm another troubled youth again. Will you help me do this?" Glamour asked, her voice sounding a bit sad. Perhaps in her secret identity mode, she'd lost people close to her because of Hydra and Viper. He had to sympathize with her, he knew exactly how it felt to lose those close to him.

Moon Knight nodded, his smiling face gushing with emotion. 'He really does love her. I don't blame him, she's very pretty, not my type though. I like knowing things about the girl I care for before I date them. Maybe when we get to know her….a little better, maybe then. Stephen, I hope you know what you're getting into. People of mystery can be trouble.' Mars thought, his gaze stuck on Glamour.

"You've got it, Lady Glamour. You first." Moon Knight said happily, readying his sword for a slash as he and Glamour moved apart, then back a bit. He saw Glamour's silver sword rise, as a several water tentacles ripped out of the water, all reaching for Hydra. 

"**_Crystal Cutter!_**" Glamour echoed, dozens of shimmering crystal shards erupting from her blade and flying towards the still frozen Hydra. 

"**_Celestial Beam!!_** Let's fry this sucker!" Moon crowed, the beam of blinding light leaping from Moon's blade, the energy seeming into every shard. They all glowed an eerie white light before slamming into Hydra's frozen form, the light spreading throughout him, crackling through every pore. Mars swore he heard the statue scream as it blasted apart, each piece fading out of sight, like dust on the wind.

Mars smiled at their victory, turning to congratulate Glamour and their leader, but Glamour was already gone. Moon Knight was in an odd position, his blade embedded in the ground, kneeling as if bowing to royalty, but he was looking at the spot that Glamour had occupied not too long ago. "Gone again, with my heart once more. Oh Lady Glamour, who are you?" Mars heard him whisper.

Mars chuckled softly and walked over to his friend to pat him on the back. "You got it bad, man, but that's ok. It's good that you have an ambition other than daydreaming. Moon didn't bothering looking at Mars as he stood up, his knight form fading off to reveal a shirtless Stephen Tsukikage, a few bruises on his ribs. "Time we all went home. Our work here is done….the Dark Universe won't take advantage of troubled teens with Hydra ever again," Stephen said softly, the looked up at the glowing moon," And I'll get grounded again if I come home late tonight. See you, partners." 

With that, Stephen ran off, leaving Mercury and Mars to watch after him, their knight form fading away into the mist, moments before they made their way home too.

**_~ The Dark Universe ~_**

Lord Specter howled in his chambers, screaming bloody murder as Raven and Xeno entered. "Moron! It was a simple plan and he ruined it! ARGGHHHHH!!! I will destroy that poor excuse for a dark prince! I will tear his black heart out, feed it to him, then rip out of his intestines slowly, then I just might kill him! Raven!! Come to me now!" Specter screamed, slamming his fist through the solid stone wall he was ranting near. His hand was bloodied with his dark blood, but he barely flinched when his hand went through. Raven and Xeno kept their distance from him, watching him cautiously.

"I am already here, Lord Specter. What do you wish?" Raven asked, her wicked glee in her brother's failure permeating through every word.

Specter looked at her, his normally calm and emotionless features ruined with his anger and hate. He looked horrible, ugly, and ready to kill whatever pissed him off first. "Find your….incompetent brother. Tell him he had better shape up or else I will kill him myself. And if he makes me hunt him down, its going to last a long time. You tell your baby brother that….and that no matter what, if he fails much more, his life remains forfeit. Understand, Raven?!" Specter yelled, making Raven step back a bit in fear his wrath would strike her.

She nodded and vanished in a flurry of raven feathers. Xeno remained, staring at his leader stoically. "And me, Lord Specter?" he asked, the look of hate starting to die down in Specter'' face. His leader calmed a bit more and strode elegantly towards his throne. As he sat down, a vacant look in his amethyst eyes, he spoke. "Yes, devote your time to training Princess Kittiana. Raven has had her training, if she fails as her brother will….Kittiana is my last hope before you. Train her as if your life depended on it, since it does. Now get the hell out of my sight. I don't want to see anyone until I deem it fit. Anyone who bothers me after this point without permission….dies. Understood, dark Knight Xeno?" Specter let out pleasantly, the arrogance teeming through his soft voice.

Xeno nodded simple and bowed, turning on his heels to leave, then looked back a moment at Specter. His leader gave him a narrowed and cold look, and Xeno gathered it meant that Specter's patience was snapping. In a flurry of metal, Xeno vanished, leaving his leader alone in the darkened throne room, dreaming of crimson rivers flowing from the people of Earth, all bleeding for him.

**__**

Very Important Note: Teen suicide is a serious matter. If you or anyone you know is in depressed or in danger considering suicide please call this number. They are there to listen, to help you believe in life. Suicide isn't the answer, there are people out there that want to help.

Call: 1-800-SUICIDE 

or call toll free in the USA: 1-800-784-2433

Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can also visit their website at: [http://suicidehotlines.com/][1]

   [1]: http://suicidehotlines.com/



	7. Ch 7My Friend, My Enemy

Chapter 7 **__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the** "Sailor Moon" **series. This goes along the lines of the original series, but an alternate dimension. Trust me, eventually, my knight will meet the scouts. Patience is a virtue, so awaiting that moment won't be so bad. REVIEW!!

****

Warning- Lewd content on Alan's part, mild shounen-ai, since only one party is sort of willing.

****

Chapter 7

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My Friend, My Enemy

~ Mansion in the Forest ~

-The Dark Abode of Prince Viper-

Viper paced about his latest toy, a real steal he'd bought with the meaningless Earth currency he'd acquired using humans to satisfy his desires. It was a simple enough device that entertained the stupid youths of the human race, all the energy rich teenagers he loved to dip into to praise the Dark Goddess and Lord Specter. It was an arcade game, much the same as any other one he had viewed in his quick visit to the local arcade in Tokyo, Haitsuchi's Arcade Heaven. It was run by a young man, very tall, lanky, and what Viper interpreted as light brown hair, eyes so sickeningly happy, it made his teeth ache. He would be the one Viper would play with, his link to more energy, more bargaining tools with Lord Specter

He leaned across his toy languidly, as he would with a lover, and licked at the glass video screen. He flitted out his forked tongue, rubbing a lone finger across his left fang. It drew blood, but he just laughed and flicked the blood on the screen. The screen came to life, a pair of red eyes appearing amidst the static. They narrowed wickedly, then a mouth of pure blackness formed beneath them, grinning up at Viper.

"I exist only to serve the Dark Universe, Prince Viper. What is your bidding?" it asked, its voice like nails on a chalkboard. Viper grinned back, patting the screen delicately. 

~ **_Haitsuchi's Arcade Heaven ~_**

"Damn, I can't believe I lost at the auction. That game was voted most popular in the world. I can't believe some rich jerk bribed the auctioneers into getting it. I just can't stand rich brats." Alan fumed, downing an entire strawberry soda down his throat. 

Gary was leaning against the wall, watching his brother with mild amusement. It was just a stupid arcade game, Snake Syndrome, and it was incredibly popular. Gary hadn't been surprised that Alan wasn't able to get it, any video game buff with a ton of cash and the balls to be seen buying the thing would have been after it. Alan had invited Gary to the auction, at his parents' request. Alan only got to show Gary how overly stressed he could be when a blonde guy with red eyes bid a cool million for the game. 

Gary had pitied the poor idiot, wasting so much money in something that was barely worth that amount. That and the guy made Gary's stomach sick, the air about was so unnatural Gary felt numerous waves of nausea hit hard, so bad that even fresh air wasn't enough to stop it.

"Stephen isn't a rich brat at least. That's one good thing about the rich folk, Stephen's one of them." Gary coughed, a slight stab of pain erupting in his stomach.

Alan grunted and grabbed out another strawberry soda, chugging it down faster than the last one. Gary didn't like these stomach problems he was having, they'd been happening more recently. 

'Maybe Stephen's cat has rabies and I'm feeling side effects. This really isn't helping my college work any either. I nearly dissected my hand yesterday. Maybe I'll go to the doctor, then they can help me feel better. Nah, it's just bug, I'll be just fine. I'm more worried about my brother….losing out on this arcade game has really pissed him off. I've never seen him so down….but at least he's hitting the soda, not beer.' Gary thought. Then a headache hit, making Gary slump his head over, rubbing his fingers over sore temples.

Alan seemed to notice this and frowned. "Go home already. I know that look, you feel sick again. Try and listen to your big brother for once and see a doctor about your pains. You're worrying Mom and Dad more and more when you try to act tough. Why can't you just stop being like this?" Alan chided.

Gary sniffed at Alan, then turned to leave. "I can't….and I won't tell you why. You wouldn't understand what I am going through. Stomachaches are the least of my problems. I'll see a doctor if you stop pining over that stupid game. Good night." Gary huffed, disappearing out of the room.

~

Alan waited a few minutes until he heard the door shut, then grabbed a beer hidden amidst the soda cans. No one liked to see him drink, especially family. Stephen had caught him once and made him regret it by getting drunk himself to make Alan stop. It didn't work, Stephen had a very high tolerance for alcohol as he'd been used to drinking fine wine at his parents parties. Also, Stephen hated beer, his comment to that being it tasted like animal spit. Stephen had cheered him up, and Stephen had only been 13, illegally drinking too. That kid always was able to make Alan smile, even when Stephen wasn't smiling. He always had enough time to talk with Alan and improve even the worst of moods, all except his own.

Stephen had been very distant lately, only confiding in Gary and Gary wouldn't say much to Alan except to mind his own business. Alan sighed, wondering what his young friend and Gary talked about, then grimaced in thinking it had nothing to do with anything serious. Stephen wasn't the type to take anything seriously or pay attention too much of anything but his own thoughts. 

Alan left the room and went on thinking about Stephen, how the guy could blatantly be so involved in his own thoughts he never saw the mob of girls pressed to the glass outside the arcade drooling over him or the girls staring at him from their eating booths. Stephen was a greater friend than a customer grabbed, but still, so long as Stephen was within view, the girls stayed until he left, popping money into games and soda machines mindlessly. He felt bad for them, as Stephen had no idea they were there.

"Heh, give that kid a few more years and he'll want to notice. Heck, if he noticed much of anything he'd know that….." Alan started to say when the door opened, a few burly men loading an emerald green and black arcade game into the arcade.

Alan watched them put it in the place he'd reserved for Snake Syndrome, one he'd probably have to move another tedious change machine into without the game being bought. Then he saw what game it was, the green letters all shaped like virus patterns and snake bodies.

"Snake Syndrome?? But how? I lost the auction!" Alan breathed, touching the screen tentatively, then drew his hand back. It felt unnaturally cold.

"I had a change of heart, Alan Haitsuchi. You like?" said a slick voice, the same voice that had made the bid for one million dollars. 

"You….you….your Victor Stanton. The billionaire kid….but why? You spent a cool million on this game. Why give it to me?" Alan gaped, watching the blonde with the red eyes approach him. Alan couldn't move the moment their eyes locked, as if he was in a trance.

"Why not? I have enough money to rule the world ten times over, so what's one game? Go ahead, plug it in." Victor let out smoothly, letting his hand touch Alan's left cheek lightly, the coolness of his skin prompting Alan to move. Alan did as he was told, the screen filling with the game's title and a flashing white line of words asking for coins to be inserted. A swarm of emerald green snakes was behind the title, all eyes red as blood, just like Victor's. 

"Play it, Alan Haitsuchi. Play it for me." Victor giggled, but Alan felt like listening. It was a harmless request, really, play the game. 'Yes, play it once, what will it hurt to play it once. I own this place…..I can jack it so I can play for free. Yes….free….so free….'Alan thought lucidly, taking the joystick in his hands.

Alan played the game, dodging armies of killer snakes of all species and some that were suked up with cyber parts or attached to other animal bodies. It was fairly simple, all he had to avoid was getting hit by their bodies or attacks, his little human hero just had to dodge those and he was home free. It was so simple, but there were so many levels, so much hand eye coordination was required, but Alan couldn't take his eyes off of the screen, he couldn't stop playing no matter how many times he died in the game.

With each death, he grew more determined, more addicted, his eyes starting to grow dark rings under them, the eyes glazing over, and a vein was throbbing on his forehead. He was like that for hours, levels spiraling higher and higher until he reached the final level, to battle the King Viper. His mouth curled into a feral grin as he went to do battle, his mind not caring about anything else.

~

Viper smiled at his prey, so easy to manipulate, so weak. 'So human….I had you pegged as a weakling when I saw you at the auction as Victor, me the boy millionaire who has his sights on nearly everything. If they only knew who I really was, Prince Viper of the Dark Universe, stealing the emotional energy of these pathetic creatures. This one is no different, his mind was desperate for this game, he wanted some extra money, for whatever reason I don't really care and he's too proud to ask anyone for help.' Viper thought, licking his lips as Alan beat the game King Viper, cheering to himself on the pointless feat.

'Easy pickings, now he's my slave. You may think you are defeating the Lord Viper, but in fact, you're emotions have infected you with my power, my essence. You are my energy sucking slave now, Alan Haitsuchi. Everyone that touches this game will give you their delicious energy….they I will just suck you dry of them, and the slaughter will begin anew. Lovely!' Viper thought, smiling at the dark look in his slave's eyes, the matching grin of pure evil reflecting off his face.

"Have fun, Alan Haitsuchi, have all the fun you never get to have because of family and the people you thought were your friends. They don't care….they are all out to steal your money. You know that, don't you? I'm the only one that cares." Viper said slyly, smirking suggestively at Alan. 

Alan nodded roughly, still smiling wickedly. "Yes, all of them, but they'll have to pay me back for all the times I bailed them out….all the pain they gave me, all the time I wasted on their worthless lives. Yes, I'll teach them a lesson….Sir Victor." Alan replied, his voice throaty and deep, unlike the sickly cheerful tone he'd had earlier. Viper just smiled, it was an improvement. Perhaps he would take Alan back to the dark Universe once the operation was completed, he'd make a wonderful addition to his collective of warriors. 

'Hmm, perhaps my own knight, like Xeno is to my sultry sister Raven, only this one won't charm my pants off like Raven did to him. Love is for weaklings, the humans. I only love power, she's forever my loathsome bride. Hmm, if Alan proves to be a valuable addition, I just might make him my personal knight. Won't that put a leech up my sisters' panties, I sincerely hope.' He thought, regarding Alan with insane eyes.

"Best you do, Alan Haitsuchi, or you will be punished, severely. Bring me the energy of your customers….make sure they all get a free play on this game, one touch is all they need and they belong to us. Don't worry about the other games, this is the only one that gives off a free try. You have to make money to stay in business and you must stay in business for that game to be played. Understood?" Viper said casually, sounding as if he said it everyday.

Alan gave another rough nod, almost grunting as he did so. He had made fists with his hands, like he was preparing for a street fight, his teeth gnawing ferally. Viper's grin deepened. 'Let the games begin….' He mused, then laughed maniacally, his terrible laughter echoing throughout the building and through the deserted streets.

**_~ 1 Week Later ~_**

"Ah, feels so good not to be grounded anymore. I can finally have some fun this week….and get back to my sessions with Gary," Stephen breathed as he walked down the sidewalk, Cyrus by his heels," This will also give me plenty of time to get back at Casey for getting me grounded in the first place."

"It's not Casey's fault you flunked your math test. You told me it was all part of your plan to keep your grades below A's, since you were back to getting A's again. That's really flawed logic, kid, what you call a plan of sacrifice is only hurting you." Cyrus scolded quietly.

"I am keeping my B and C grades for Gary's sake. The sacrifice is sort of worth it, I'm not exactly getting D's or F's. Dad won't feel obligated to support the tutoring stuff unless I am getting C's or B's. I was a little too busy stuffing my face that night after coming home from the tutoring session to recall that the little larva goes through my things if she finds them…." Stephen grumbled, feeling like kicking Cyrus," Little pulled a dirty trick in showing him a cute picture of a duck, then my bad test. Maybe I should stick to getting C's on tests, F's seem to rub my father the wrong way. Mom could care less, but Dad….you should have heard him rant that night." 

Cyrus meowed gently, sticking his little nose up at Stephen. "I heard him five blocks away. And you've only told me about his threats every day that you were grounded. You should be thankful your mother isn't as passionate in punishing you as your father is. She's the reason you were only grounded for a week, not thrown out of the house with only the clothes on your back until learned some respect like your father wanted. At that rate, you'd never get to go home." Cyrus commented snidely.

Stephen gave Cyrus a dirty look. "Very funny. Boys are always expected to do more than any human can do naturally, why can't girls get that kind of treatment too? We're all human, just different parts on our bodies. We all have the same thing in our heads, brains. Equality is something that goes right down the toilet around here, especially in my house. Casey just butters those idiots I call parents right up with her fake sweetness. Heck, we should send her after Viper, he'd probably be too traumatized to fight anymore."

"It's your destiny to fight the dark Universe, Stephen, not your baby sister's. You're being too hard on her, she's only a child. She'll grow out of it and you can tease her about her behavior in front of her boyfriends as suitable revenge. Be a patient for once, right now the Dark Universe is your main goal to do battle with, not your little sister! Focus, fluff head." Cyrus yowled. The cat had no time to blink when Stephen snatched him off the ground and shook him like a can of soda. If Cyrus wasn't going on an empty stomach, he might have thrown up on his sleek fur.

"I'd rather get even with my sister, it's safer than all this fighting crap. It's not like the Dark Universe has gotten any closer to home than that Virule creep that attacked Cici. Viper may think he's great, but he hasn't grasped the simple concept of seeking me out. I'm lucky at that, if he tried a door to door salesman scheme, he might have found me. At least he doesn't stray too far from his fake business fronts, be thankful I scope out all the new shops in town for your benefit." Stephen replied, rapping the cat on the head a few times.

Cyrus growled a bit, his nose wrinkling up in a very irate manner at the young man. "Get a clue, Stephen, your spying is for the world's benefit to go on existing, not for just me. Why can't you show a little more responsibility with your job?!" 

"I don't see any paychecks coming my way, do you, kitty cat?" Stephen chuckled.

"Cute….oh hey, look! Isn't that your friend Gary over there? He looks…strange." Cyrus piped, looking ahead again with wide eyes.

Stephen followed the cat's gaze, looking almost like an innocent child inspecting something new, then a bright smile crossed his lips. It was Gary, the back of him facing Stephen. He was wearing his usual maroon suit jacket and black jeans and shoes. He was sitting on a black and crimson lined motorcycle, looking off to left at something. "Cool motorcycle, I didn't know he owned one. Heh, I guess he does a live a little," Stephen said, then started running for his friend," Gary! Hey Gary!"

Gary seemed to stiffen a bit at his name being called, his head angling to the side ever so slightly, but not enough to look at Stephen. As Stephen got closer, Gary rather violently looked back to the left, as if hiding his face from Stephen.

"Gary? Hey, what's wrong? I'm sorry I wasn't at the sessions and all, but I got grounded cause of my baby sister. I wasn't allowed to use the phone or anything the whole week. Don't be mad." Stephen coaxed, but Gary shook his head.

"It's not that. Angela….told me in her own way that you got grounded….while she flirted her butt off. She's isn't the reason I'm not looking at you. It's….it's nothing really….I'm just….it's nothing." Gary said, but the hurt was apparent in his voice.

Stephen crept a little closer, grimacing when Gary moved his body a bit to avoid Stephen's gaze. After a few tries, Stephen got frustrated and was ready to jump his friend to see what he was hiding, then an idea popped in his head. He grinned wickedly, and Cyrus took note of it with worried eyes.

"I hope you always land on your feet too, Cyrus." Stephen whispered, still grinning. Cyrus would have asked what Stephen what he was up to if Gary wasn't so close, but Stephen didn't give him the chance as the young man threw him up in the air and over Gary's head. Gary made a strangled sound as Cyrus landed and embedded his claws into his pant legs and teetered backwards. Stephen quickly rushed in, even as Gary tried covering his face instead of trying to regain his balance, and held him up in his arms. Gary managed to hold himself up by wrapping his legs around the front of the motorcycle. Stephen wasn't done yet as he supported his friend's head against his stomach, then mercilessly attacked Gary's unprotected ribs with the oldest childish trick he could think of, tickling. Gary started sputtering and laughing, trying to muffled it and keep his hands on his face, but it wasn't working. As his hands ripped away from his face to guard his ribs, Stephen's eyes widened, his fingers freezing the moment Gary's hands touch his.

Gary's cheeks were both red, but not from laughing. They were bruised too, a little blood leaking from his mouth. He looked as if he had been slapped or punched multiple times. There were some bruises on the sides of his neck too, as if someone had tried to strangle him. Stephen suddenly felt guilty about invading this bit of privacy, then it turned to rage as he stared down at the friend he held up in his arms against the motorcycle. He wanted to tear the person who did this apart.

Gary looked a little flushed none the less to be in such an awkward position, and as Stephen was realizing, it was uncomfortable too, but he couldn't help but stare at the bruises on Gary's face. He finally shook off his initial shock and lifted Gary back up into a sitting position, but when he circled around to the from of the bike Gary didn't hide his face. He still looked a bit flushed, but in a more depressed manner. "I'm sorry, I didn't think….who the hell did this to you? Tell me, and I'll go kick his ass." Stephen replied, anger rising in his voice.

"You can't do anything about it….not the way you're suggesting. And, I know you won't do it either, you won't be able to bring yourself to get back at the guy that did this to me. Even I can't….not until I know why he did it." Gary let out, rubbing his bruised face, then his legs where a quivering Cyrus was stuck. He rubbed the cat's back gently, coaxing him out of his initial hysteria of being thrown in the air and positioned the cat neatly in his lap.

"Why won't I be able to do it? Just tell me who hurt you." Stephen exasperated, clenching his fists angrily. Gary lowered his head a bit, then looked back off to the left and pointed right at the arcade, Alan's arcade. "What? Is the guy who did it still in there?" Stephen asked.

"Yes and no….it was Alan. He did this to me when I walked in….and no one tried to stop him." 

"ALAN DID THIS?! I don't believe it, he couldn't have hurt you. He doesn't have a mean bone in his body….how could he even hurt his own brother? That's crazy!" Stephen rasped, his voice and eyes trembling at the news. Gary shrugged, his sad look deepening. 

"I wish I was wrong, but it happened. I just walked in and he said he need to discuss something with me, then socked me in the face. I begged him to stop, but he dragged me in the back room and beat on me the entire way. I thought he was going to kill me….I had to kick him in the groin to get away. I asked people for help, practically screamed for it, but not one person wanted to help me." Gary replied, shaking his head 

Stephen gulped at the story, unable to fathom what he was hearing. It didn't sound like Alan, it sounded like a monster, and the customers sounded worse, yet it all seemed familiar to him. "What did they do, why wouldn't they help you. What could have been so damned important that they couldn't help you out?

"It was the games, all they wanted to do was play their damned video games. They started to yell for Alan where I was, some even tried beating me up too. All they wanted to do was play those damned video games and thought I was trying to interrupt them. Of all the insane things, they wanted to play games and let Alan beat me bloody. I don't understand what's happened to him….he's changed, not just with trying to beat me" Gary replied, shaking a bit," He was smoking when I saw him and had beer bottles all over the corridor that leads to the back room. He smelled of beer too. Alan never drinks and he hates smoking. Our father smokes and Alan always tell him to put his cigarettes out when we have get-togethers. He's not acting like himself, something is really wrong with him, Stephen, and it scares me. Ever since that auction and that rich guy gave him the Snake Syndrome game….Alan has seemed different, but never this bad." 

'Snake Syndrome, rich guy? Viper? It could be him….only he could change such a nice guy into a monster. God no, not Alan, how dare that snake in the grass freak hurt my friends with his sick games!' Stephen thought harshly.

"Stephen….?" Gary asked suddenly, breaking Stephen's thoughts apart. He looked at his beaten friend as apologetically as he could, then looked off at the arcade. "I'll help you figure out what's wrong with him, Gary, and I won't try and hurt him, unless he tries to hurt me. He's my friend, and he was always there for me. Its time for some payback so we can have the old Alan back, ok?" Stephen told him, getting a nod from the dark-haired youth.

"I can't go in there with you….he….said a lot of terrible things and threatened to do a lot more if I showed my face there again. I can't go or he'll….I don't even want to think about what he'll do to us both if I enter the arcade. I'm sorry….I'll try and sneak in later on. Maybe…." Gary replied, looking away all ashamed, Stephen gave a him a slight smile and patted his friend's shoulder, startling him. Gary looked up at him, him mouth parted slightly, almost curious. 

"It's perfectly all right. I can take care of myself. I've been in more fights than Alan has. If he tries anything, I can at least knock him out or stun him long enough to restrain him….I won't pick a fight or anything, I'll just try and talk to him, but since you're already out here, just watch my back from the window. Call the cops if he goes too far or his cheering squad joins in. That's all I ask, as a friend, that ok?" Stephen said evenly, squeezing Gary's shoulder for reassurance. 

After a minute or so, Gary nodded. "Alan's lucky to have you as a friend….so am I. Sometimes you are too good for your own good." Gary commented quietly, so soft that Stephen felt his voice would be lost if he said it any louder.

"Good, before you start window peeping, call up Ray," Stephen spat out," His number is 0454-3478, ok? He can call Angie. I am still trying to forget her number after she tattooed it on my hand with her pen. After that, make sure I'm not dead or anything."

Gary frowned at him. "That's not funny."

Stephen just shrugged and gave off an impish smile. "Just trying to lighten the mood, Gary. Trust me, everything will be fine, now get cracking with that number." Stephen replied, then ran off, Cyrus already waiting by the arcade in the distance.

**_~ Haitsuchi's Arcade Heaven ~_**

Stephen walked in, being as quiet as a mouse, though he doubted he would have been noticed if he'd been screaming bloody murder. The arcade was drunken mess, literally. Kids his age and under were drinking beer and smoking. 

'Alan would flip if he was behaving normally. He strictly forbids this in his arcade. I remember when he got those punks who sent one of the new friends on a dare to smuggle beer in here. Alan banned those guys for good for the stunt and destroyed their beer to boot. Damn Viper, you're going to pay for ruining my friend's life like this.' Stephen thought angrily, striding in past the drunken teens, every single one of them practically glued to a video game. Most of them were holding onto the controls for dear life while others were slumped across tables and the floors by games, being stood on by those playing the games. It was if the game were more important than helping the passed out drunks.

Stephen moved a little closed to one such player, a young girl with brittle looking braids, as if she hadn't fixed her hair in days. He nearly threw up on her back. The girl wasn't standing on the young man under her, she was standing in him. He wasn't bloody or anything, it was like he was made of brittle glass. His stomach was shattered open, several pieces of skin shattered off his arms and face. 'Like a porcelain doll, I don't feel anything from him….and barely anything from her. He was drained, oh God. Alan, they made Alan steal energy for them.' Stephen thought fearfully, gagging a bit as he backed away. He never expected to bump into anything.

"Hi Steph, how long have you been here?" Alan drawled out sweetly, the foul air of vodka tonic and beer wafting across Stephen's senses. He knew the scent well, it was the normal combination at the few dinner parties his parent's took him to. He didn't like the way Alan was fingering him either, on his sides and butt. He didn't like it at all, so quickly he went forward and whirled around, taking in the ghastly sight of what his friend had become.

Alan had black circles under his eyes, sweat all over his body. His shirt was filthy, stained with days of sweat and food spatters. He looked like a wino in an apron, but stronger in his blood-shot eyes. Stephen's stomach hurt, twisting in violent icy knots. He could feel Alas was practically teeming with evil energy. Stephen didn't need to look at him to see that, but it helped. He smelled like drunken junkie, he looked it. He had to gather Alan hadn't slept wink in the whole time he'd been affected, but it didn't seem to affect him physically. He was standing upright, a beer in one hand and a smoldering cigarette in his mouth, ash dust caked on the side of his mouth as if he'd let it burn all the way down.

His normally lanky body looked a little stockier, some veins protruding from his arms and one on his forehead. He had a sleazy looking smile plastered on his face, wavering on a snide little smirk as insanity flashed through his eyes. Alan was also oozing testosterone, looking more dominant the longer Stephen stared at him, and disgustingly charming. It made Stephen feel small, but still angry deep down. His friend's life was being ruined, he was killing people all for Viper. 'I can't transform and kill him, I just can't. Even if he survives, he'll know my secret….then he'll be a target. I'll have to fight him like this, as Stephen Tsukikage. The others will be here soon….I won't have to fight long, I hope.' He thought, so immersed in them he barely noticed that Alan had moved.

Stephen tried to back up as Alan was now only a foot away from him, but he rammed into the sickly looking female player. She growled at him, and Stephen felt a wave of nausea wash over him when he saw her face fully. Her face was sunken in, she looked as if she hadn't eaten in a lifetime. She was filthy too, her clothes stained with mold and dust, as if she were mummy just drudged out of an ancient tomb. The sight of her made him lose him balance and he fell right back into Alan's waiting arms. He heard the brief shattering of glass before he hit, and a few shards of the beer glass sticking into the back of his right arm.

'Trapped….god, he was never this strong, ow….!' Stephen's mind screamed as the choke-hold and arm twist he was placed in made him cry out in pain. When it stopped he opened his eyes slowly and found Alan leering at him, still holding him tightly against him. Stephen gathered he was being held up in the air when he couldn't feel the floor anymore, his eyes swerving away from Alan to look to the girl for help. His heart sank when he saw she had gone right back to playing her game, her arms starting to shrivel.

"Don't mind the stick girl, she's a little involved with Cytron Commando, like her footstool was. I'm so glad you could make it, Stephen. I can't wait to add you to my collection of dolls. You'll be my most beautiful one….then I'll your little friends too….all on Lord Viper's wall of…souls. Heh heh heh…." Alan let out lucidly, pecking Stephen on the cheek.

"Alan! What on earth is wrong with you? Stop that!" Stephen gagged out, feeling another kiss touch the tip of his ear. 'I'm going to feed Viper his ass when I catch him. This is humiliating….I hope…Ow….Alan doesn't remember this.' Stephen prayed, trying to squirm, but it only seemed to egg Alan on. He bit his neck and made Stephen cry out, but he didn't waste the chance to get free this time. As quickly as he'd shouted, he brought his foot backwards and rammed his heel into Alan's groin. The scream from Alan was very high pitched, but he loosened his grip on Stephen long enough for him to wriggle free, stumbling away as he brought his hand to his neck.

Warm blood met his hand, Stephen's icy blue eyes trembling with fear as it started to flow faster. There wasn't a hole there or anything, it just hurt terribly, the sudden loss of blood making him dizzy. 'Maybe I should have waited….God, why is the room spinning. Uck, should have waited for the others….why won't it heal? Is it the dark energy….is it too strong? I wish I could transform, but I can't risk hurting Alan with my powers…or revealing myself to everyone….still…ugh, trapped.' He thought, his thoughts blurring along with his vision.

As suddenly as his vision cleared, many hands grabbed him, ripping and tearing at him. His shirt was torn off and many fingers started giving him scratches, blood oozing from the slim wounds. He punched and kicked at them with all the strength he had, but the dizzy spells were getting the best of him. Soon he was being held in place, a smirking Alan approaching him. "Guess you finally learned how to fight, for a spoiled rich pretty boy. Time to put you in your place, money bags, with me. Take him to the game. Let him feel the power of the Snake Syndrome. Let him join us….for the glory of the Dark Universe. Do it and you can play forever!" Alan laughed, his eyes alive with red flames. He slapped Stephen a few times, ordering the gamers to hold his head up to improve his aim.

Stephen moaned in pain, blood leaking from his mouth as the sting of Alan's cruel hand upon his cheeks ripped through his flesh. Stephen wanted to cry, his friend, the guy he trusted, the one who helped him, healed him and tolerated him, he was beating the living crap out of him the entire way to the game he spoke of. The arcade game that was glowing a dark emerald green, eyes of blood red and gaping, drooling jaws facing him on the screen. He couldn't force the tears out, he felt his blood freeze as the drooling screen jaws snapped at him hungrily, Alan laughing maniacally all the way. 

When they reached it, the gamers leaned his face close to the screen face. It licked its tooth-ridden lips, staring up at Stephen with the most vile gaze, dead and unforgiving, pure evil. "Give us a kiss, beautiful. Give yourself to the Dark Universe!" it giggled, its voice all bubbly and deep.

Stephen gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, fighting the many hands that pushed him towards that horrid thing.

**__**

CRASH!!!!

Stephen felt his body jerk, the hands falling away slowly. The shattering he heard still echoed in his brain, he could still hear the sound of the breaking glass. He thought it had been the face on the screen eating his head, his screams being the source of the noise, but it wasn't. Slowly, still sore from the scratches and slapping he'd been through, he turned around, the gamers filing away from him and back to their games. As the sea of sunken and brittle faces dispersed, he saw one remaining, but it was a beaten face, with sunglasses on, still teeming with life.

"G….Gary? You….saved me?" he let out, unable to process the information properly, still fighting back his dizzy spells. Gary gave off a sheepish smile, lifting his right hand up to show Stephen two broken beer bottle necks, some of the glass cutting into the flesh of his slim and pale fingers. Gary tossed them to the floor, right next to Alan's unconscious body, a little blood leaking from Alan's head. 

"When I saw him bite you….I figured he wasn't kidding around. I went to the trash bin and got these bottles to throw at him so you could get away, but by the time I got back…well, you were…ahem….being swarmed. I had to sneak in when his back was turned or they would have gotten me too and it'd be too late for us both," Gary explained, then eyes the gamers," I don't get it though. Why aren't they attacking?"

Stephen shrugged, feeling chilly suddenly at his lack of having a shirt, not to mention embarrassed. Angela and Ray would get here eventually, and that meant the maniac would see him shirtless again and tackle him. He was enough pain already, he didn't need her adding to it.

Gary was staring at him too, making Stephen wrap his arms around his bare chest, the uncomfortable silence getting to him. 'And I have to destroy this game without Gary seeing….Moon Knight. Alan won't stay out forever.' Stephen thought.

"I guess if he's not barking orders, they have no reason to stop gaming. Uh, why don't you go in the back room and call the cops….where there aren't any junkie gamers around. They can get the hoodlums out of here." Stephen said quickly.

Gary nodded, but with uncertainty. "Ok….that sounds like a good idea. I'll…get you a towel or something, then I can take care of your wounds, specially that hickey Alan gave you."

With that Gary ran off, looking back once, a bit pensive, then disappeared from Stephen view. As soon as his friend was gone, Angela and Ray walked in, their eyes bulging the moment they saw him. Angela got a suggestive look on her face briefly, then her eyes filled with concern. "What happened to you, man? You and Cyrus have a disagree….eeement. What the hell happened to Alan?" Ray spouted.

Stephen shook his head rapidly, looking at his friends sternly. "Never mind that, you two get to the backroom and keep Gary in there! Block the door from the outside with your bodies if you have to. Viper's gone too far this time, no one messes with my friends!" Stephen ordered.

Ray started a moment at Stephen's tone, but then nodded and ran for the backroom. Angela smiled sweetly at Stephen and started towards him, but to Stephen's relief, Ray came back and dragged her off with him.

"Maniac….time to put you in your place, Snake Syndrome. No more plaguing the minds of innocent teenagers seeking entertainment, and no more fucking with my friend! You're toast!" Stephen announced, grabbing at his pendant forcefully," **_Moon Sword, Transform!!!!_**"

In a flash, he was in his silver armor and white tunic, his silvery helmet hiding his face from all, but no one was even looking at him. Moon Knight smiled at this, delighting in the frantic shouting of the face on the screen. It was yelling for help, but without Alan, as Gary had been so kind to prove, they were just gaming zombies. They were just worthless without their master, puppets without the puppeteer.

"Time to say good-bye, ugly. In the name of the Galaxy, I will destroy you! **_Celestial Beam!_** HAH!" Moon Knight shouted, slashing his sword at the clattering game. As soon as the beam of light hit the screen, the thing inside let out an unholy wail before it crumbled into ashes.

The gamers were screaming as the Snake Syndrome game was destroyed, grabbing their heads as their energy flood from Alan and the game back into their bodies. All but the shattered husks were restored to their normal healthy bodies, letting their tired forms falling onto the floor.

Alan stirred after that, but didn't get up. Moon Knight knelt down to his friend and set him against on of the nearby games, yanking the dangling cigarette out of his mouth and stomping on it. He brushed off Alan's tired and filthy face with his gloved finger best he could. Alan's eyes fluttered open slowly as Moon Knight managed to clean off the cigarette ash off of his mouth.

Alan stared at him, the bloodshot eyes now clear and happy again, yet a little dazed and confused. "You're….You're….I don't believe it….you're…."Alan tried to say, but someone else finished for him.

"….the Moon Knight." It said, the soft and nasally tone drifting to Moon Knight's ears like leaves on the wind. He turned around, seeing Gary looking at him in total bewilderment. Moon Knight stood up, looking to the stunned Alan back to Gary, then started to walk right past the young man in sunglasses.

He didn't want to say anything, his voice might give him away. Gary knew his voice well enough and so did Alan. He looked off to Gary's right after he passed by him, seeing Angela and Ray looking at him with sheepish smiles. He smiled back at them and wagged his finger, then went for the door.

"Wait!" Gary's voice floated to him again, making Moon Knight stop and turn his head slightly toward the young man. "Where's my friend? Where is Stephen Tsukikage?" he asked forcefully, showing Moon Knight his clenched-gloved fist.

Moon Knight panicked mentally, thinking Gary knew it was him, but then he was able to process the questions. Gary had left him as Stephen Tsukikage to call the police, and only Moon Knight remained. Moon Knight smiled and bowed to Gary as politely as he could, to show secret thanks for Gary's concern for him. "I healed him….and sent him home. The game tried to kill him after you left. He is safe. Trust me," Moon Knight replied, making his voice very soft and whispery, knowing if he made it deep he'd sound ridiculous and fake," I must go now. Farewell."

As quickly as his words ended, Moon Knight ran out of the place, leaving everyone behind. He heard Gary call out again, but he didn't stop. He didn't stop until he was too far away and was able to duck into an alley. He changed back, his wounds already starting to heal. 

He didn't want to think about the fight anymore, he only wanted to think about Gary and Alan, the friends he had nearly lost because of Viper. "Viper," Stephen grated out, clenching his fists tightly," You're dead meat, no one messes with my friends! Do you hear me! NO ONE!" 

**_~ Mansion in the Forest ~_**

-The Dark Abode of Prince Viper-

- Night -

"DAMMMMMMNNNNN!! Moon Knight did it again! Another brilliant plant laid to waste! Argh, it was my last chance….damn, no, I can still make good on this yes. I'll do what I should have done in the first place, killed him myself! Yes, that will make Lord Specter very happy. Heh, heh, eh, heh, heh…." Prince Viper ranted, pacing about his dark abode frantically, and giggling insanely the more he spoke.

He shook a bit as he started to laugh, his crimson pupils flitting in his sockets dangerously fast. The laughter filled his hideout, loud enough to wake to dead to run for their undead existences. 

"Yes, ah hahahahahaa haa!! So lovely! If you want something done right, DO IT YOURSELF!" he cackled, lighting crackling outside as his wild laughter filled the mansion, filtering outside to infect and chill the souls of the animals that dared to hear it.


	8. Ch 8Showdown in Poison Parlor

Chapter 8 **__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the** "Sailor Moon" **series. This goes along the lines of the original series, but an alternate dimension. Trust me, eventually, my knight will meet the scouts. Patience is a virtue, so awaiting that moment won't be so bad. REVIEW!!

****

Chapter 8

__

Showdown in Poison Parlor 

~ Dark Universe ~

-Specter's Throne Room-

"XENO! RAVEN!! I command you to appear!! Right now!" Specter shouted, his purple eyes flaring up like poison wounds. A flurry of dark feathers and wind appeared beside a bright silver light filled with swirling metallic shards, revealing Raven and Xeno standing side by side before him.

"You took long enough! This is important business….I thought Raven would do anything to hear that her brother has just failed for the last time." Specter grated, his face calming a bit as he sat back down in his throne, his black armor glistening wildly in the sickly, pale light that filtered upon him from above.

Raven got a wild smile on her face as he said it, but Xeno just looked calm and pleased. Xeno never got to emotional in front of Specter, he knew it wasn't good manners to high royalty such as he. Having a poker face was good enough to please Specter, and he was glad deep down that at least one of his subjects was trained properly.

"When does he die? Can I help?" Raven said quickly, but Xeno eyed her a bit, clearing his throat. Raven's smile fell away and she straightened up, adding in a curt," My lord." Specter waved his hand at her, as if there were fly buzzing near him, shutting his eyes in disgust. "Spare me the pleasantries, Raven. And no, you don't get to kill him, I do, just I have the right to kill any one of you for failure to the Dark Goddess and myself. Viper has failed one too many times, once was too many in fact, but he's provided a wonderful amount of human life energy to the goddess, but his failures are still failures. However…."

"However what, my lord? You said he'd failed you for the last time, he should die for that." Raven said stiffly.

"DID I SAY YOU COULD SPEAK!? If I want your opinion I'll beat it out of you!" Specter screamed, his dark energy rising dangerous around his body," Now, as I was saying before some tick interrupted me is that even though he has failed, I am giving him one, and I mean only one, final chance at redemption. He is to kill the three knights once and for all, and if he succeeds, he can begin the energy draining missions once more. If not, I'll destroy him and send his energy to the goddess. And that means you, Raven, are in charge of the Earth missions. Killing the knights is imperative, but getting them here alive to drain would be even better for the goddess. Viper said they had great power, possibly there's enough in their three bodies to release the goddess to us earlier than planned. Still, we have to wait for Viper to pull off this plan of his first, whether he fails or not, well, I will know. He can't hide failure from me anymore than the rest of you can." 

"That is true, lord, giving him a fair chance at his final chance is more than any of us could ask for….or even expect. Though, if the boy prince fails, you can count on Raven to do a better and more thorough job than he did. She is my best student, lord, Viper was too busy gloating to his sisters and showing off his powers. Though, you ordained his final chance. We will await your orders." Xeno said calmly, a small smile on his pale lips.

Specter nodded towards the metal wearing warrior, then looked wryly at Raven. "Don't humiliate our best warrior, Raven, and no plotting against your brother either. If I find out you or Xeno kill him or any of the other warriors to make him look bad, your funerals will be coming very quickly. Do we understand, children?," he said tightly, folding his hands together, getting nods from them both," Good, now get the hell out of my sight and await your orders, Raven. Xeno, you will remain here to observe young Viper's progress. You trained him like you have always done for the royal family. You'll know what to work on with him, if he survives to succeed."

"Yes lord" they said in unison, Raven vanishing in her whirlwind of black feathers and Xeno stepping up to stand beside his master. "Don't think I don't know about all the screwing you two have been doing all this time, Xeno. Getting to involved with your student can harm you greatly if you are not careful." Specter chided, but Xeno barely blinked.

"I take full responsibility for her actions, lord. I am her trainer and teacher, what she does is due to how I did that. The fact that I have trysts of sexual nature with her does not impair either of our judgement on the obvious fact that you will send us screaming into the abyss of our great goddess if we let that guide our actions. I am not a fool and nor is she, lord." Xeno said plainly, not even looking at his master as he spoke.

Specter just sniffed at the reply, holding out his hand to created a orb with dark-purple tendrils snaking all around it in front of them, floating in mid air. Tokyo was shown within the orb, the bright lights of the night-ridden town speckled across the glossy surface. "We shall see." Was all he said, staring hard into the small orb, his wicked purple eyes mirroring on the city.

**_~ Tokyo ~_**

-Night-

Stephen was sitting on his windowsill, Cyrus right beside him watching the young man quietly. Stephen was swinging his legs a bit, making soft thud with his bare feet on the side of the house, but he looked terribly deep in thought, as if his mind wasn't paying attention. It wasn't a new look for the young man, Cyrus had grown used to the human drifting off into his own daydreams and fantasies off and on, every other sense he had shutting off to go into his dream world. 

'The boy is going to get worse than hurt if he keeps doing this….why does he space out so much?' Cyrus wondered, sighing a bit. "How long are you going to stare like that? You're face will stick that way if you're not careful." Cyrus warned, but Stephen barely flinched, still having his far-off gaze.

'Damn, why do I even….huh? STEPHEN!" Cyrus yowled as the sky went red. The guardian cat almost grinned as the boy's head lifted up sharply, staring feverishly at the blood-red sky, flames licking at the stars like rapid tentacles. 

A tight figure appeared within it, or at least from the chest up, of a man with yellow hair and red eyes, his perfectly sculpted form pressed in by and emerald green snakeskin vest. "Viper!" Stephen yelped, staring up at the apparition numbly for a moment, then with hate. 

"Galaxy Knights!" Viper said, looking across the city of Tokyo wickedly, as if he owned it. "Galaxy Knights," he repeated, extending his right hand over Tokyo city," I challenge you bothersome goody-two shoes to take me on in the forest near your pathetic park….you'll know where to go cause I'll be scaring you all the way to my parlor. Your ultimate destruction is at hand, Galaxy Knights, but make no mistake, if you dare to throw my generous invitation back in my face, and you can wake up to chaos in the morning. HAH!!"

With a flick of his wrist, flames shot from his fingers and set Tokyo on fire, countless building exploding before Stephen's eyes before he blinked. The city was fine, and the sky was normal once more, but Stephen could still hear Viper's insidious voice laughing at him. "Step into my parlor, Galaxy Knights, or watch all of your people die! Ah ha hahahahahahahahaaaaa!!" 

Stephen stared for a few moments at the place Viper's form had appeared, then back at the city, looking just as bright and lively as before. "Go contact Angie. I'll call Ray and Gary, we have to discuss this after school….pronto."

Cyrus raised and eyebrow as Stephen slipped back into his room and opened his bedroom door, shouting," Why are you calling Gary and not Angela?"

"Cause she's a psycho, she'll think I'm asking her out or some junk. Bit would be better if you take her on, no way she'd try to think she's making me jealous by kissing you. As for Gary, tomorrow is Friday, numbskull, but I do have a session with him. I have to cancel it so he doesn't waste his time."

"God, you seem to care more about his feelings than those of your friends. You're really cruel to Angela." Cyrus scowled.

"She deserves it, and Gary happens to be one of my friends too, so shut your fuzzy fanged face, Cyrus and beat feet. We have till tomorrow night to plan this or we die, game over and do not pass and such. You know?" Stephen snapped, disappearing out his door.

"I'll fang face you, ungrateful brat. Just get your priorities straight, forgetting a few lessons you don't even need isn't going to spoil much. Rowr!" Cyrus muttered, leaping out the window, instantly sprinting away from the house when his paws touched the ground.

**_-Takozona Junior High -_**

Stephen was annoyed at how slowly the day was going. He had been so worked up by Viper's nightly threat he'd forgotten to fall asleep in class or even to respond to much of anything except the bells that let out classes.

He was sitting at the base a tree now, the one he had saved Cici's life at from Virule Vile weeks before. She had been an intolerable bubble-brain as long as he could remember and still was, but he thought at times when he'd pass her in the halls that she was hiding something….her face was always anxious when she went out to eat her lunch. 'As if she remembered the entire thing….Cyrus never said whether people would recall such things, I've never had to see the other victims of Viper's beasts as much as her and Angela's trio of charmed girls from the charm store. They all seem apprehensive whenever I see them. Maybe they do recall what happened to them,' he thought, then spouted aloud," Then why haven't the police looked into the people we couldn't save? They've vanished and no one is even looking for them. Why?"

"Cause the Dark Universe says so, Snowflake." Angie's shrill voice stabbed into his pert ears. He scowled at her, looking at her briefly as she sat down. Beside him, snuggling almost. He allowed it, he was too angry about Viper's audacity to even care. It was almost comforting, but he did remember who she was. He stomach wrenched a bit as she touched his chest. 

He shrugged her off then, angry with himself for drifting too much. "Not now, not ever in fact. This is serious, in case you didn't see Viper torch the town." He snapped, but she latched onto him again. He didn't fight this time, figuring he could get further into the matter at hand if she wasn't fighting to grab him.

"I saw….I was doing my nightly exercises at the time in our backyard. He was pretty hard to miss….Cyrus was in my window a couple minutes later. Does Ray know?" she asked, again touching his chest.

Stephen sighed and swatted at her hand with a nod. "I called him up, he saw it too. He told me we'd all meet in the park, near the boat docks, to discuss our plans for Viper, the ones we should be discussing. Hey, get your hand out of there! Jeez!" Stephen yelped as Angie tried to slip her hand between his legs. She gave a light smirk and forfeited her efforts, but remained very close, nuzzling against his stiffening chest.

"I say we blow his ass to hell." She stated proudly. "Oh, that took a lot of brain power, of course we do that in the end….but we have to actually weaken him first, then kill him. I say we surround him once we know what we are dealing with and use cut and run type moves…..Damn, what am I saying? This is a stupid conversation." He said, angry again.

"Why is it stupid, love?" she asked, momentarily letting go of him to stare at him in bewilderment. "I mean this, talking about a battle with a guy who is unpredictable….we can't plan anything except on trying to stay alive. We're just teenagers, not soldiers. And don't call me love!" he snapped, leaning his head back against the tree and closed his eyes tightly.

He opened one when he heard grass being shuffled on, the sun starting to darken on his eyelids. He fell to the side and Angela's lips crashed on his neck, staying there, much to Stephen embarrassment. He could hear laughter erupt from all over the school recess area, the words "love birds" and "How cute" gnawing at his mind, with Angela kissing up his neck.

"Stop it!" he yelped, scooting away and rubbing his violated neck hard, as if doing so could stop the redness from creeping across his pale cheeks," I hate it when you embarrass me like that….keep your nutty lips off of me."

Angela didn't look too dissuaded as she stood up, and didn't look it as she tackled him into the ground. "You said it doesn't matter as long as we three watch each others' back and defeat him with mind and power. He's unpredictable and I agree, but so am I." She said sweetly, planting a firm kiss on his tight lips. He kicked her in the shin when he felt her tongue try and get inside his mouth, delighting in her pain-filled yelp and he shoved her off. He ran for the school and ducked inside, never stopping his sprint until he rammed into the boy's bathroom. "Nutcase. Now everyone saw, God, the maniac and the daydreamer, I can see the laughing faces and hear all their snickers. God, I wish Glamour went to this school….so I could love her, not Angie the Animal. Yuck, she's to weird to get turned on by." He stammered to himself, holing himself in one of the stalls. 

Two kisses down the tubes was all he could fathom as he sat on the toilet lid, rubbing his mouth off with toilet paper to get the Angie-taste out of his mouth. He knew he should have never told Cyrus to tell Angie about any meetings unless Ray was around. Angie always waited to molest Stephen until Ray had gone. He had chosen the word molest as the best way to describe her unwanted gropes. 'The fate of Tokyo, maybe the world, rests in our hands, three teenagers and a loud-mouthed alley cat. It makes you doubt that life isn't ironic or cruel. Hell, life is just plain fruity now a day's. The maniac is in love with me, my cat talks, I'm in love with a mystery woman in black, an alternate universe is trying to destroy us all, and to top it all off, the world might end tonight if we don't fight Viper. Ugh, why can't things be as simple as worrying about puberty and if I'm going to miss a movie or a homework assignment. Why can't things be normal again?' he asked himself.

"Why can't you shut up? I'm trying to take a leak here." Shouted a male voice. Stephen could have died on the spot when he heard it, smacking himself upside the head for opening his mouth at all. 'Great, wait till he leaves or he'll spread it all over the school that not only does the maniac love you, you're a maniac too. God, what was a thinking. I've never been so angry in my life….it can only get worse if we don't battle Viper. We have to go, plan or no, we have to stop that bastard before he kills everything!' he thought, not even moving as he heard the urinal get flushed.

**__**

~ Sakura Gardens~

"Now that we've all made it….Stephen, we can begin discussing the plan." Cyrus said, staring at Stephen who had only just arrived, still trying to yank his arm out of Angela's grasp. He succeeded in doing so finally and went to stand by Ray, further deterring Angie from trying for another grab. She scowled at them both, more at Ray than Stephen. 

"Discuss what? We've been fighting him this long and once he challenges us we change tactics? I say we go in there and take him down. You heard what he said he'd do to our city if we didn't show. We have to go now or we'll never reach the rendezvous point in time." Ray said, smacking his fist into his other hand hard, a look of determination on his face.

Cyrus shook his fuzzy head and then eyed the youth furiously. "That will get us killed, but I know we have to go now. The boats over there will get us there quickly….we can discuss our plan there. That was part of Stephen's plan. Get moving, knights. The world waits to be rescued and all." 

Stephen stuck close to Ray as they walked to the boat rental hut, a grimy old man leaning on the counter, a few teeth missing from his grisly old head. Stephen paid him for a motor boat in cash, bringing an almost toothless grin to the man's face as he greedily caressed his face with it, showing the keys clumsily at him.

Stephen and his friends quickly got into the boat, Angie starting up the engine and Cyrus cuddled up slightly to Stephen, who sat at the front of the boat and ray was in the middle. "Cyrus, I have to agree with Ray. We had no plans for the other monsters, all we did was fight for our lives. Nothing much has changed except opponents. We're fighting flesh and blood now, so what? He can die just like the rest of us….but we won't die. If we do, Tokyo and then the world are going to follow. That's too much riding on our shoulders to make us screw up or blow this whole thing off. I say we just do what he says and then kick the ever loving crap out of him." Stephen said as they reached the center of the lake. 

Cyrus didn't seem too surprised when he said it, only nodded. "I know that, but Viper might not be alone in this battle. Villains do cheat, you know." 

Stephen looked down at the cat angrily. "Please, and his warriors didn't? I'm used to fighting them….and I didn't know what they were capable of either. He just looks more like us is all, and he's a dark prince, big deal. We do what we can….if we can beat his warriors, we can beat him. I'm not going to let some snake-skin prancing bastard cut my life short, no way in hell. I've got too much planned for my future to let it all die because some otherworldly power chose now to come back and try and wreak havoc."

"He has a point, C, we know as much about Viper as we knew about his warriors. We're going to fight Viper whether we like it or not, and we have the power to do it. I'm not saying we run into his domain half-assed and screaming. We play it safe, fight when we have to, and take him down. For all those people he made to suffer, for all the people who suffered in the past because of the Dark Universe." Ray added, his eyes grave and serious.

"Yeah, the guy deserves to die. He nearly murdered my Stephen-sama. And he will keep trying so long as he lives. He suspects him….and if he ever follows him again, it might be worse than what happened to Alan." Angie piped, the night sky finally taking the sun away as they reached the opposite shore. They all were silent in getting our of the boat, staring up at the dark forest before them.

"Well, I for one am not waiting for the festivities to begin. Bring it on, snake boy. Mar Fire, Transform!" Ray shouted aiming his ring to the sky, then groaned out in pain as his transformation took hold. 

"Yeah! Moon Sword, Transform!" Stephen said as he clutched his pendant, the pain numb in him after so many times of using its powers.

"Right on, Snowflake! Mercury Ice, Transform! Oh!" she said, her ring to the dark sky as she become Lady Mercury.

The three knights ran into the woods swiftly, Cyrus at their heels as the forest took them in, an almost wicked scent hitting the air as they did. The dark woods were silent for a few minutes, not even a cricket could be heard chirping or an owl hooting. Moon Knight felt his foot crack down on something, a twig he guessed, but he never heard it utter a noise, rather felt it. "This forest is weird, its like all of the sound has been sucked out the place." Mars commented, who had a twig in his hand now, snapping it in two. No sound came out of it, not even when it hit the ground. "Viper's got to be close, and now he's screwing with Mother Nature now. That red-eyed freak is going down!" Mercury swore, raising up her sword at lightning speed as she charged forward. 

Moon sighed and went after her. "She's going to be the death of me, I swear Mars, she's nuttier than a building full of fruitcakes." Moon hissed. Mars was just trailing behind Moon Knight, managing off a half-hearted shrug.

Moon Knight caught sight of Mercury again after several more minutes passed. Actually, it was more along the lines that heard her shouting numerous curses and heard the clinking of her blade. He saw her fighting off a hoard of what looked like living vines, with the heads of snakes. Each one was a dark green, their skin necrotic and blotched with disease, fangs about the size of their hands dripping out floods of black venom. 

"Yep, looks like his game is finally starting to take shape. There's no turning back now. YAHHH!" Moon yelled, charging into the battle with mars rapidly. Moon Knight moved furthermost into the fray of wild, hissing snakes, hacking those that were practically strangling the trees and twirling around the point his stomach lurched avoiding those that were snapping at him from the dead ground.

All sounds were hitting the trio at once, hisses, screams, the gnashing of teeth, and the ever present whistling wind that raking across their faces like icy kisses. "Fight your way through them! Viper's has to be just beyond them!" Mars cried out, slashing several snakes' heads off with a quick spin of his blade. Moon looked back in time to see one of the snakes braving for mars' face, getting a swift punch upside its scaly head for the effort and a sword through its body as it fell back.

"No argument there. They're all over where we came in. I can't even see the trees back there anymore." Moon shouted, back, stomping another snake down hard with his boot. The things bled black, just like their venom, and it spray all over Moon Knight's boot as he delivered the crushing blow.

Mercury didn't look happy about leaving the area, her mouth in an apparent frown. "I say we make him come to us, show him who's in charge here." She shouted, slashing and kicking at the new wave of giant snakes that approached them. Moon let out an exasperated sigh and went at her quickly, swiping his sword at whatever got in his way in a spray of green, tattered flesh and black, oily blood. Mercury's form was starting to fade from his sights as more snakes went after her, her war cries only egging them on to flood towards her. 

"For the love of humanity, Mercury, we have to run now, away from them. Viper said he'd be herding us right to him, so I say we herd ourselves now. The second we wipe the floor with him, these things will go with him. This is not the time to pick a fight with overgrown worms when the king worm is who we want, the guy who'll destroy all of Tokyo if we don't get our butts in gear!!" Moon yelled, but Mercury went on shouting curses at the snake, blood, scale and bones flying into the air as her pointless battle went on.

"That does it! Mars. Use your power with mine, if we have to drag her away we will, but we have to get to her!" he shouted back at his, who had just finished slaying the last of his slithering adversaries. When Moon saw him nod and raise his sword high, he jumped back to be right beside him, lifting his sword to the moonlit sky. "No more fooling around, fang-boy. **_Celestial Beam!!!!_**" Stephen shouted, slashing the moon energy from his sword.

"Yeah, **_Raging Hell Fire!!!!_**" Mars shouted, doing a spin before releasing four massive fireballs from his flaming sword of onyx. The two powers merged in mid-flight, becoming a quartette of flaming meteors. Moon and Mars watched them slam head on with the writhing wall of serpents, high pitched, unearthly shrieks filling the air as the energy blasted them apart. The two dove for the ground as the massacred creatures shot at them in charred and bloodied pieces. 

Moon nearly got half of a snake's head in the face seconds before he hit the ground, feeling the hot trickle of the dead venom spatter across his bare neck as the head sailed past. He looked up every few seconds to see eyeballs, bodies, jaws, fangs, and flesh, all shredded and cooked, fly over them while putting his head down when some would rain down on their bodies. When all Moon could hear was the light thuds of the body pieces hitting the ground, only then did he get up. He saw Mercury staring at them, her mouth open wide and her hair a bit frazzled. She didn't look hurt, just a little sooty and shocked.

"When I say move, I mean it Mercury! Now, as I said before, let's move. More of those slithering bastards are forming." Moon griped, jerking his finger towards the writhing army that was replacing the dead one behind them. He heard something that sounded like "fine" and left it at that, running in the opposite direction of the snakes with his comrades close behind.

The trio wasn't without their scaly friends as they'd hoped, a few showing the knights that they were a lot quicker than their kin, snapping dangerously close at their heels. They pressed on, jumping when the hisses became deafening around them.

"We can't run forever, Moon, where is the main snake in the grass anyway?" Mars shouted, slashing his sword behind him when he heard jaws snap next to his head. He smiled when a startled yelp replaced it. 

"He's probably laughing his snake-skinned ass off at us, but we can't very well turn back….Hey, I see something! A light!" Moon replied, aiming his sword ahead of them," It looks like….a mansion….."

The others looked to where the sword was aimed at and saw Moon was right, a dull light was shining out of a large stain-glass window of serpents strangling women, attached to a rather large mansion. It looked like something out of a horror movie to Moon Knight, but he could only laugh inside at that thought. 'This is a horror movie, complete with otherworldly demons and killer snakes. Why not a creepy mansion? And where there's a creep place, a creep is sure to be close by.' He thought.

"Run for the mansion, that's where the bastard is hiding! **_Celestial Beam!_**" Moon Knight shouted, sprinting ahead as the energy beam shot from his weapon and sent it crashing through the stain-glass window. He took a hard leap through the still shattering glass, the others following him in amazement. They stopped running once they realized the snakes weren't even coming in, the still of the large and vine covered room welcoming them. 

Moon kept his sword up, taking the sudden break from battle to survey their new surroundings. It was like an indoor garden, a dying one to say the very least. The long pale green vines had patches of brown splotches of decay and wrinkled portions that looked to be saturated to death. The roots were, nonetheless, growing through the floorboards, the ceiling and the walls. The only door out of the room was blocked off completely by the terrible vines, but they were actually healthy looking and covered with black thorns. The more Moon Knight watched the door vines, the more he could swear they appeared to be moving, as if they were breathing. 

"So where is old fang-boy? VIPER! Come on out and fight, you stinking coward! We're not afraid of you!" Mercury shouted, ramming her sword against the nearest wall to her, her teeth ground into a tight sneer. 

"My, what a mouth you have, human. Not to worry, I'll rip it right off, then you'll be careful what you say." Viper's voice cackled, his malicious laugh echoing throughout the room.

"Come on out! You too afraid to show your slimy face to us?" Mercury taunted, unfazed by Viper's words. Moon Knight stared at her in disbelief, just as Viper materialized behind her.

Mercury! Look out!" he shouted, but it was too late. Viper sent a blast of green energy into Mercury as she tried to turn about. She went sprawling across the floor in pain, her hair sooty and slapping wildly against the floor when she stopped.

"Damn, one more second and I could have blasted that pretty mask of yours off. Hmm, I wonder what's under it, my little orchid. You'd all be welcome additions to the Dark Universe, if you'd just submit to us. You could live as I do, royally and pleasantly ruling over the drooling population of earth creatures. This is your last chance to make it easy on yourselves, you know, I am a fair bit of perfection, kids, just letting you know that you have a chance to walk away from this winners." Viper said, his charm enough to make Moon Knight's stomach turn.

'Arrogant bastard….God only knows how many people died because of him and here he is playing "Let's Make a Deal" with us like we're a pack of greedy imbeciles.' He thought, taking a brave step forward and holding his sword with both hands. "We'll never join you, it doesn't matter how much you sugar coat this, you still murder people to revive the dark goddess. I won't be part of that, so go to hell, Prince Vomit, and shove your head up a demon's rear end!" Moon said harshly, gritting his teeth.

"Yeah, you can take your deals and shove 'em. We don't bargain with raw garbage like the Dark Universe. So quit stalling and fight us….we're not going to lose to the likes of you after all this time." Mars added, thrusting his sword in front of him in a fencer's stance, one hand held a ways behind his helmet. Mercury was back her feet as well, her armor stained with char, but her strength didn't fail her as she raised her sword up, pointing it dead at where Viper's heart would have been, if he even had one.

"Yeah, and honey, any man, no matter how puny that sucker punches me is in for a world of hurt. Come and get my kiss of ice, baby, or are you still not man enough to face us fairly?" she glowered.

Viper's face twitched at each insult that was flung his way, and he lifted off the floor until he was floating halfway above it, staring at them with an evil look in his blood-red eyes. "Heh, well, since you're going to be so high and mighty about this, you pack of saccharine goody-goodies, all bets are off. And I'm not one of you, so I don't fight fair, so why don't you just do me a favor…..AND DIE!!!!" Viper shouted, his eyes wild with insanity as he raised his hands up and shot a beam of green light at the young men. Mars and Moon avoided it easily.

"You call that your best shot!? Hah, I've seen fourth graders who pack more punch than you….huh? What's so funny, fang-face?" Mars laughed.

"You are. Who said I was aiming for you, anyway? Strangle them, my lovelies, choke their very breath out of their bodies." Viper grinned, landing in front of Mercury," But you, my little orchid, you I want to play with all night….to death."

Moon and Mars didn't bother to watch Mercury fighting as they looked behind themselves, leaping back hard as the thorny vines rammed into where they had been standing. The vines were like a giant squid now, all wrapped together in the doorway with dozens of green, thorn-riddled tendrils squirming and reaching out at the end….reaching for the two knights with death programmed into their forms. 

"Ok, so he's inventive. Big deal, they're just plants. **_Raging Hellfire!!_**" Mars shouted, slashing out his fireballs at the ghastly vines. The mass of green tendrils exploded on impact, every single one going aflame. Mars smiled at his achievement, twirling his sword in his hand proudly. As he looked at Moon Knight, he said," Piece 'a cake."

Moon Knight wasn't looking at Mars, his eyes still trained on where the mass of vines had been. "What?" Mars asked, then Moon Knight, gestured with his sword towards the same spot he was frowning at. Mars' face fell when he saw that the vines he had incinerated were reforming, fresh and coiling towards them again with their glistening black thorns. "Ooook, very inventive. Now what do we do?" Mars asked, slashing down hard on a vine that lurched for his face.

"Take down the source, which means Viper. Let's hope isn't like his pet….AHH!!" Moon Knight began, but was cut off as a vine wrapped around his leg, the razor sharp thorns latching onto his armor before the vine started to drag him towards the bulk of the vines. Moon Knight lost his grip on his sword as he tried to jam it into the floor to stop his movement, then forced himself to look back as he heard a loud roar erupt from behind.

His eyes widened as the tendrils pushed themselves apart at the center, revealing a gaming mouth littered with giant black teeth, all covered in green drool that slimed its way down every vine. It was snapping feverishly as the vine pulled Moon Knight closer, the speed of the pull increasing as he went along. He clawed at the wooden floor desperately to try and stop himself, watching in angst as Mars was too busy fighting off other vines to even get close enough to help him. 

He shut his eyes tightly, his entire body feeling as if it was set on fire as he braced for the uncaring jaws of the monstrous plant to snap down on him once he was only a few feet away. Moon felt a jerk in his leg and high pitched wail erupt suddenly, his body coming to a halt, but his leg was flailing around. He finally felt a pair of arms grab him from behind and swiftly rip him off the ground. When the person landed, Moon Knight felt his hand against a cool blade. He opened his eyes at last to see it was his sword, then he looked at his leg that was still twitching. 

"Lady Glamour! What are you doing here?" He exclaimed, watching her cutting the jittering piece of bleeding vine from his leg, the blood was black like the thorns, and every bit as foul smelling as it looked as it saturated his feet. "Saving you, Moon Knight, what I always do. You looked like you could all use the help. Viper is not to be underestimated, but avoiding a battle with him is suicide. Once he dies, so do his creations. You must reach to the power within your soul to defeat him forever, not in your blade. Those will be as ineffective by themselves as they were with Viper's creations." She told him, nudging her chin off towards the vine creatures, who kept reforming each vine Mars was chopping off.

"Will you help us, please, I don't know what to do. How do I reach the power inside me?" he asked rapidly as she helped him up. "Your body will remember, reach into your heart Moon Knight. It is the key to your survival. Your heart will trigger it, trust me. We must unite now." She said, her silvery voice seeping into his heart with every word.

"Yes, you're right. MARS, forget the giant geranium! Viper has to be stopped or that thing will never die! Come on! Mercury! Hold him there for us!" Moon Knight shouted at his companions, following Lady Glamour quickly towards where Mercury and Viper were still fighting. 

Viper was a dirty fight, and quite obviously not taking many hits in the fight with Mercury either. She despised his arrogance, but what she truly hated was the fact he kept taunting her as she had been doing to him. All he did was raise his hand at the start of the battle, then created a sword of pure dark energy and the fight had begun. She'd taken a few cuts and bruises from him, and she wouldn't have minded it so much if she could have just gotten a hit on him, but he was too fast with his parries. The smug look on his face made her even angrier, but nothing could have pissed her off more than losing the chance to save her beloved Stephen from danger. She had taken a deep slash across her leg as she lost her train of thought when Stephen had been grabbed by the vine creature, and seeing Glamour steal all of her glory and Stephen's heart all at once didn't help.

'That tramp, dresses worse than a Vogue magazine. Harlot! He's my precious love, my Snowflake. I could have saved him if this red-eyed bastard would just play fair!' her mind screamed.

When Stephen shouted an order to her, she was more than happy to comply, even if he was running alongside that tramp Glamour. She put all of her energy into keeping Viper interested in fighting her, even getting so bold as to punch and ram her own body into his. These actions caught him by surprise, anger washing over his features as he hit the floor, but it was easily remedied as he shot away from her in a flash, flying into the air swiftly as she tried to bring her sword down into his face. 

"Nice try, little orchid, but you'll have to do better than that. Much better." He hissed, landing back on the ground with his sword aimed straight at her.

He fired a bolt of energy at her from it, smiling all the way. The way his face fell in disbelief proved how overconfident he really was as several crystal shards made contact with it, the dark energy dying away in an instant. He turned his head angrily towards the interference, the woman on the sensual black dress that had helped the Moon Knight out so many times before.

"Lady Glamour, the wretched thorn in my side. How unpleasant of you to drop in. You think your pitiful powers can stop me? Thin again! Taste the power of the Dark Universe! Come my lovelies, come and defend your master!" he cackled, still holding his sword tightly.

The knights and Glamour leapt out in curious patterns away from the vines, Glamour back-flipping with ease and launching her Crystal Cutter attack at each surge of vines that came at her and Moon. Mars seemed to be sticking close to Mercury, his mouth moving rapidly amongst the shrill wailing of the vine creature as they fire their own swords and powers into its body.

'Hah, who cares what they are saying, soon they'll be dead. I'll be on top forever, dear sister Raven. Kiss up all you like, no one is as strong as me!' Viper thought wickedly, laughing like a madman as the vines surged forth again, pushing the knights even closer to his position. 'Soon there will be no room left for them to dodge, not with me helping out my lovely creation, no, I'll watch them writhe in agony all night long.' He mused.

"**_Celestial Beam!!_**"

"**_Raging Hellfire!!_**"

"**_Ice Slash!!_**"

"**_Crystal Cutter!!_**"

The words came to Viper in a blur. A moment ago he was imagining how he'd be rewarded for destroying the knights, the look of absolute rage and jealousy on his sisters' faces when he would go on as the Earth general. Now he felt unimaginable pain ripping through his young body, hot cold, sharp, and unearthly energy all at once attacking his flesh and senses. He fell to his knees, seeing his own green blood spattered beneath him, his clothes burned and torn, his skin bleeding freely for the first time in centuries. He didn't like this thing called pain, it was hindering. Viper hated weakness.

"Not so tough now, fang-boy." Mercury laughed at him, her sword still shimmering with the ice power it had thrust forward. Mars was silent, staring at Viper with pity, dear lord pity, something Viper had nothing of for anyone, a mere human brat was pitying a great dark Universe prince.

Glamour was stoic, not even moving or showing any expression whatsoever. When his bloodied eyes reach Moon Knight, he felt his body twitch. The young knight had his hands in front of him as if in prayer, his sword on the ground. It wasn't that which made him twitch, it was the white energy crackling around the youth's fingers, his eyes gone dead white as his small mouth opened. 

"My heart, my heart, it goes out to those you made suffer, those that died needlessly for your sickness and evil. My heart, in the name of the moon, **_Lunar Eclipse!!!!!!!!_**" Moon Knight shouted viciously, his body seeming to lift off the ground slightly as he raised his hands up in the air, spreading them apart to create a ball of light.

"To the sides, Mars! Mercury! Out of the way!" Glamour was shouting, but Viper was too paralyzed with pain to move with them as Moon Knight's body did a full twist in mid-air with the ball of light, as if he was throwing a discus. 

Viper's last words leapt from his mouth moments before the ball of light ripped away from Moon Knights hands, enlarging swiftly as it rocketing at his body. 

"NO!!!!!!! I CAN'T LOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he screamed, the great ball of energy crashing into Viper's body, vaporizing it on contact. It kept on going and ripped through Viper's vine creatures and through the wall, not a sound uttered until the energy vanished as it hit the outside, only the sound of stillness welcoming their ears.

Moon Knight felt drained and fell to his knees, looking up briefly to survey what he'd done. Viper was gone, dead and gone at last, and his friends were all safe. Glamour was to his left, near the window they'd entered through was and Mars and Mercury were a ways to his right, far from the eradicated vine creature. He found that they were watching the creature fizzle into the air, losing its form knowing its master was gone.

"We did it!!! YEAH!" Moon Knight cheered, a sudden burst of adrenaline rushing through his body, allowing him to leap up in his happiness. The others were already getting to their feet, dusting themselves off proudly and raising their hands to show their praise. 

Moon Knight looks back to Glamour, a shy smile on his face forming when he saw she was still around. She was smiling back at him, but suddenly began to hold her head, groaning. He started to walk towards her when he heard something crackling above. Instinctively, he looked up and felt his jaw drop. The roof was collapsing over Glamour's position.

He wasted no time in rushing towards her, seeing she wasn't moving from her spot since she was till gripping her head. "Get out of the way!" he shouted, grabbing her roughly by the arm and throwing her away from the spot. The last thing he felt was the house coming down on him, hearing his friends' anguished cries as it did.

**_~ Tokyo Central Hospital ~_**

Angela Furosuto and Ray Hitodama** sat in the waiting room beside Stephen's parents, trying to avoid the accusing stares from his father. Stephen's little sister was very quiet since she'd stopped crying over an hour ago, but Mrs. Tsukikage was still weeping about "her little angel." Angela had been crying too, but alone in a bathroom stall. She hated it when people saw her cry, she felt so helpless and vulnerable like that. 

She felt even more uncomfortable when Ray tried coaxing her, seeing right through her stoic mask the instant he saw her return. It wasn't terrible to have his arm around her, but she loved Stephen, not Ray. 'Stephen's in the emergency room, stupid. He might be dying…dying over that space-case harlot Glamour! I hate her, if he dies I'll never forgive her.' Her mind wept.

That's not what they told the ambulance when they arrived. Ray had gone back to the boat rental stand and called the hospital, but when they asked what had happened to him, the two had lied their asses off. The story was that someone teased Stephen in class about being a coward and a sissy and the guy had been so persistent about it, Stephen finally decided to prove the guy wrong. Naturally, his friends followed him to make sure he wasn't hurt, but Stephen didn't know they were there. They heard a crash moment later and found that the roof had fallen on him.

'Can't exactly tell them some flying lady wearing a feather cape and S&M black leather clothing zapped the ceiling to kill Lady Glamour and their son, the Moon Knight, tried to save her and got the roof and energy bolt zapped into his back. They'd put us all away if we said that.' She thought.

It didn't matter what they told the authorities or the hospital anyway, Mr. Tsukikage still blamed them for his son being injured. She understood now why Stephen always acted so dreamy and out of touch with the world. With a father like that, who would want to remain in reality?

She jumped a bit as the man in question leapt up to stand, and she saw he had done it because the doctor was entering the room. "How is my son? Dammit, answer me! Is he all right!?" Mr. Tsukikage yelled, his weeping wife trying to hold him back. Casey had started to cry again and Ray went over to comfort her. She silenced after a bit, not bothering to let the small child go as Angela stepped alongside the fuming father.

"Mr. Tsukikage, I have very good news. Your son is just fine, better than fine really. There wasn't even any need for surgery." The doctor smiled, rubbing his gloved hands together slightly. "What do you mean?" Angela asked.

"Well, the burns were on his back when we put him in the X-ray machine to see what was broken, but when we found nothing was broken and took him out, the burns were….smaller. It's a miracle, I tell you. That boy's heart was fading in and out all the way here from what the ambulance drivers tell me, but all he's got now are a few bumps and bruises. You're son is very fortunate, but…." The doctor said, pulling down his mouth-guard to reveal his stubble-laced chin.

"But what?" Stephen's mother asked, tears of joy spreading on her face.

"But, I would like to keep him overnight for observation, just in case. I just want to run a few more tests on him to make sure he's all right. Its nothing major….you can stay if you like, but he's not leaving here until we're sure he's well. It would be best if you all went home, got a good night's sleep and then you can come back tomorrow to pick him up. Please, for his sake, don't make a mountain out of a molehill, he's in good hands here." The doctor finished, giving them all a reassuring smile.

Stephen's parents seemed a bit edgy about the request, but finally agreed. Angela and Ray watched them all drive off, then parted their separate ways once the headlights of the Tsukikage car vanished from sight.

Ray had wanted to walk Angela home, but she had insisted she could take care of herself and quickly ran off. Ray went home slowly, his skin feeling an unpleasant prickle upon it as he recalled the leather clad woman who nearly took Stephen's life. "She said her name was Raven….Princess Raven. I guess that makes her Viper's sister." He said to himself. He never expected an answer, or a small dark shape to leap out from behind a car to land before him. "Cyrus! Where the hell have you been!?" Ray gasped, clutching his heart from the scare the guardian cat had given him.

"I'm a cat, not a human. I'd get killed trying to fight the Dark Universe warriors. You all did a better job at it than I could have, not that nearly losing Stephen didn't break my heart. You stopped Prince Viper only to have another Dark Universe royal come at you. Stephen's lucky he had you all around or he never would have survived that. The world is in pretty good hands." Cyrus chirped, to which Rya grabbed him by his dark, velvety neck and scrunched him up against his chest. "You old softy, I knew you cared, but next time try and warn us that we're about to be attacked again. Yelling out warnings never hurt, pussycat. You're lucky Stephen is ok or I'd drop kick you into a meat grinder." Ray warned, almost mockingly. Cyrus glowered up at the teen, then let out a deep sigh. "Yes, if he had died, I would never have forgiven myself. We need all the help we can get in this war. We must protect each other, no matter what. Since we have a new adversary, I say things are about to get a lot rougher. We can't let our guard down, not for a second." Cyrus piped, getting his chest squeezed to the point that his eyes were bulging out.

"Let Stephen recover, for cripes sake. Nag, nag, nag….let us have a little breather. You owe us that much for taking Viper down for good." Ray snickered, letting the squeeze subside as Cyrus nodded rapidly," Good, now we're going back to my place. You can stay with me till Stephen goes back home. We'll celebrate with some drinks."

"DRINKS!? You're too young!" Cyrus yowled, but ray just offered a wicked smile. "You're never too young for a soda pop….and I doubt you're too old for saucer of cream either, or are you lactose intolerant? We have lots of soy milk that never gets drunk." Ray teased.

"Yuck, cream will be fine. Just get a move on." Cyrus replied, yowling again as Ray sped up his pace, squeezing hard on his poor chest again.

**__**

End of Part 1….Snake Eyes Serenade!!

Now onto Part 2**, Wings of Death Epic **and** Princess Raven!!**


	9. Ch 9Jupiter Shockup

Chapter 9 **__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the** "Sailor Moon" **series. This goes along the lines of the original series, but an alternate dimension. Trust me, eventually, my knight will meet the scouts. Patience is a virtue, so awaiting that moment won't be so bad. I have no earthly idea when and how long the Japanese school years are, so forgive my ignorance in that fact. REVIEW!!

****

Chapter 9

__

Jupiter Shock-up

- 1 Month Later -

-Takozona Junior High -

The month of March was a bit chilly, but it was nothing Stephen Tsukikage wasn't used to. He felt better now than he had in a long time. 'Seems like only yesterday I was in the hospital. Being a super hero isn't so grand, I guess, but at least we saved Tokyo. Shame that louse Specter sent another royal pain to bother us. I wonder what she's up to….we haven't seen her since that night.' He thought, feeling a slender arm crunch around his. He made a yelping sound in his throat and the arm pulled back.

Stephen smiled inside. He'd finally found a way to keep Angela off of him. By pretending he was still hurt, she eased up on becoming the human barnacle. It didn't always work, but when it did, it was like a breath of fresh air to him. 'Soul….' He thought, drifting back to that night again,' Glamour….'

She hadn't reappeared since he saved her life, but he knew there was a reason for that. He hadn't been in trouble since the dark princess Raven had shown her sneering face. It wasn't as if he felt pain in his heart because he'd been told by Glamour herself that she only came when he was in danger, not knowing what her true identity was or what she was. 

'Might as well keep enjoying the peace and quiet. Not much can surprise me anymore. I've survived giant plants, super powered monsters, and a demon prince with bad taste in clothes. I doubt his bratty sister can do anything any worse than my own.' He thought, twitching his nose a bit at the cold.

"Its been cold a bit too long. Maybe Raven is actually doing things differently, Snowflake." Angela piped, brushing her long orchid ponytail slightly with her fingers. Stephen gave her a quizzical glance. "Please, flake, you're being too paranoid. If they could manipulate the weather, I think we'd be covered in snow up to Tokyo tower by now. That's real stupid." He griped as they neared the school.

It was a new habit for Angie, to get up at the crack of dawn and run to his house so they could walk together to school. Stephen hated it, sure, they were friends and all, but she thought they were lovers. The thought made his skin crawl. He looked forward to reaching school more every day, the closer he was to getting away from Angela. At the end of the day, he was forced to hide in the bathroom or the boy's locker room and escape out a window to avoid seeing her to walk him to the arcade and back home.

'Like having a lost puppy attached to your ankle. Makes me miss Cyrus, stupid cat guardian crap artist. All he does is wander off into the city, without me. I'd do anything to avoid Angie, even patrolling Tokyo beats being hung on all day by this fruitcake.' He thought harshly, smiling as he saw the doors of the school just a few feet away, the snow covered bushes surrounding them shaking in the wind.

"Can we eat by the willow tree today? I hear they cleaned all the snow from last night out. We could talk and stuff, Snowflake." Angela asked sweetly, but Stephen refused to look at her. "No, I'm eating in homeroom with my classmates. There's a new student being introduced today and our teacher wants us to welcome him then."

Angela scoffed at the excuse and tried latching onto him, and succeeded. "New student? I heard he got kicked out of his last school for starting fights. A real problem child. Why welcome such a loser when you can welcome me into your dear heart?" Angela cooed.

"Is there a difference? Honestly, Angie, you're a major p…." he started, but as they reached the first bush, a bright headed shape leapt out and shouted," **_Konichiwa!!!!_**"

Stephen jumped back so quickly he lost his footing and fell on his rump, but Angela stayed up and went into a fighting stance. Seconds later, Stephen her a hoarse yelp and a thud on the snow laced ground. He got up and saw Angela was kicking the poor guy in the ribs. "Angela! Quit it, he's down! He's down!" Stephen hissed out, yanking her away from the young man, who'd tucked himself into a fetal position.

"Yeah, I'm down….on the ground. I didn't mean any harm. Ow! I just wanted to say hi. Youch!" The young man whimpered out, his hands slipping off of his bright, fiery red hair, looking very soft and short the back, but spiky in the front and at the back of his head. The bottom lengths of his hair looked like a pair of small horns. 

Angela tried to go at him again, but Stephen held her firmly by the waist. He knew what she was doing, struggling so he'd hold her longer, but he wouldn't take the chance she'd try and take another swing at the guy if he released her. The guy peered out from behind his fingers, revealing a brilliant green eye, bright and curious, then he started to get up.

Stephen released Angela as soon as the young man go tot his feet, watching the youth more than her as he scratched the back of his head. The guy closed his eye, the one not covered by his red, spiky bangs for a moment, beaming out a terribly pleasant smile. Then he opened his eye up, a hint of the other one coming and going as the wind came and went. He was wearing a green coat, wearing the normal school uniform that most boys wore to school, but he looked terribly content for someone just attacked by the school maniac. As Stephen studied his face more, he saw there was a Band-Aid on his left cheek, a little worn from being there for what Stephen guessed could have been weeks. He grabbed the back of his head and rubbed it shyly at the two, still smiling as he extended his free hand to them. "Hi, I'm sorry if I startled you, just didn't want you to run away when you saw me. My name's Lamont Inabikari, pleased to meet you." He said, his voice full of energy, yet had a charming quality to it. 

Angela scoffed at him, but Stephen extended his hand out to the guy, offering a simple smile. "Stephen Tsukikage, and this feral little….girl is Angela Furosuto. Pleased to meet you, Lamont." He offered, getting a firm handshake from Lamont.

"Same here," he piped, then his eyes went wide when the school bells began to sound off," Oh crap! I'm going to be late for homeroom. Uh, see you both later. Nice meeting you. Bye!"

Faster than the scene had occurred, Lamont had plowed through the front doors of the school and disappeared inside. Angela just looked after him in shock, shaking her head. "What a weird guy, huh Snowflake? Snowflake?" she said, turning her head to where he'd been standing. Stephen wasn't outside with her anymore, and she had to grumble out her frustration as she heard the school doors slam again.

**_~ Lunch Time ~_**

Stephen was deeply pissed with the sushi tray the family maid had prepared for him, since it was very little this time. "Stupid brat sister, I bet she switched lunches with me just to piss me off, the little glutton. I know Aiko always give me a bigger helping of food than this, God, Casey's going in the garbage disposal for sure this time.' His mind screamed, but he started eating it anyway, grumbling all the way.

"STEPHEN! No one said anyone could eat yet. Spit that out!" Mrs. Techiro yelled at him, slamming her frail fist on his desk. He looked up at her for a moment, then down at his tray. "You sure?" he asked, his mouth still full. "Yes, are you deaf? Spit it out right now, you are not eating until I introduce our new student." She seethed.

Her face went green when Stephen complied, a mass of chewed up and wet raw fish sliming out of Stephen's mouth back into his tray, making a gross slick plop when it hit. Stephen simply folded his hands over his chest when she started sputtering. "Ok, its spit out. Now you should stop spitting, ma'am, its bad manners." He offered, but his teacher looked less than eager to change her current skin color or the nauseous look on her face. She walked away with the same expression on her face, a few snickers erupting behind her as she teetered by her desk.

'She asked for it….but I just wasted a perfectly good sushi roll for her. Picky, picky, all for this new kid.' Stephen thought, picking up the chewed pile with his only napkin.

He looked up as he set it on the corner of his desk, his eyes jerking a bit as he saw a familiar blood-red head walking up to the teacher, steadying her. She thanked the youth and faintly told him to face the class. 

Stephen knew who it was long before the teacher announced his name. "Class, ugh, oh, this is Lamont Inabikari, he transferred to our fine school from Tohoku Junior High. Lamont, dear, tell the class a little more about yourself. And class, save your questions for later….I mean it. Oh….Jin, would you supervise the class till I get back, I don't feel well. Keep your eye on Stephen especially." She let out, grabbing her mouth hard as she ran out of the classroom.

Stephen watched as Jin, a tall dark hair student stand next to Lamont and put his blue eyes dead on Stephen's head. 'Teacher's bloody pet…. She said spit it out, so I did.' He thought harshly, sneering at Jin.

"It wasn't that gross. Raw garbage is worse, you know, when they are cleaning out garbage trucks and they dribbles all that orange, fluids that makes your throat contract and heave like a geyser? Tossed cookie central." Lamont laughed, looking pleased with the statement. 

Jin got a sour look on his face, eyeing Lamont oddly, then he took a few steps away from him. "Heh, good, I like my personal space. Hi everybody, you all know my name, so no more introductions. No one really has to hear all about me, so why don't you all eat before the teacher gets back. I like being a mystery more than her martyr. Kay, great." Lamont uttered with the most charm a voice could ever contain, then went to go back to his seat in the back. Stephen heard him come back and started to talk to the guy next to him. There was some shuffling, then Stephen turned to find Lamont sitting next to him with a smile. "Hi again, Stephen. You sure showed her." He beamed.

"Isn't your seat back there? You'll get in trouble on your first day." Stephen whispered, his fingers lightly touching his food. "Heh, the teacher told me I could sit where I wanted, but I got in the class late and that was only seat left. I told the guy next to you that the teacher said it was my seat. You and Angela are the only people who've actually talked to me today….I thought we could talk more." Lamont stated, taking his lunch bag out of his pack. It was more like half a grocery bag wrapped around a binder. When the young man took out its contents, Stephen nearly drooled. There were so many different little foodstuffs on his larger tray, different colors and smells hitting him and most of the class at once. If Stephen had bothered take his eyes off the mouthwatering food, he would have seen half the class drooling and staring at it too.

"Want some, or are you on some kind of guy diet? I've never seen anyone eat so little." Lamont commented, gesturing at his own food then Stephen's.

Stephen shrugged it off and popped one of his sushi rolls into his mouth, chewing it quickly. "My stupid baby sister stole my lunch before I got up this morning. She does it when she feels she gets screwed on the portions. The little larva eats too much. This was her lunch for today. I guess I have to get up a lot earlier from now on, maybe I can avoid Angie if I do that." Stephen commented wryly, popping another roll into his mouth.

Lamont chuckled at that. "Sounds like me when I was little, 'cept I was always taking my dad's lunches and switching them with mine. Peanut butter is so bland for someone with my palette. Got me started on my love of great food. I'm going to go to a culinary school when I graduate college, but don't go thinking I'm all dainty cause I want to cook….good food is hard to come by. Sharing my love of food with others is my dream, so don't go knocking it."

Stephen finished off his last roll with a slight choke, but managed to get it down before it went for his lungs. "I didn't say anything. I cook too, though I'm not going to make a career out of it. Its good to have ambitions….Hey Jin, quit staring at me. Look somewhere else…." He started, forking a dirty look at Jin. The youth known as Jin complied occasionally to look at the door, eagerly waiting to eat his own lunch when the teacher would return. 

"That's cool, I'd be a little angrier if that was why I'm being avoided like the plague." Lamont stated, fingering out a handful of his lunch and slamming it in his mouth, not a crumb falling out as he chewed it down quietly. 

"Oh really? And you jumping out of the bushes, isn't it? Not that it's any of my business." Stephen said, his stomach growling as he stared down at his empty tray, silently cursing his brat sister. He was shocked to see a slim hand drop a handful of odd looking foods on his tray. 

He looked at Lamont in surprise, who was smiling down at his own tray, saying almost wistfully," I always pack too much. I wouldn't be very appealing to the new ladies of my new school if they thought I was a pig. Being fat is not good for a guy like me, or any guy. Eat up or I'll think you hate my cooking."

Stephen fingered the foods for a moment, then took a tentative bite of one of the purple colored pieces of food, and smiled. "Hot, but not bad. I say you'll go far before you even get to the culinary beat. Thanks, Lamont….but uh, well, you never answered my question." 

"I know….its pretty embarrassing, and I'm surprised you don't know about it. I heard a couple girls laughing about it in the halls when I came to school. That's why I was in the bushes….I was a bit flustered that everyone had made their minds up about me over a simple misunderstanding. I can tell you about it after school, if you don't mind…..I seem to have an audience still," he said plainly, pointing at the other students who were still watching him eat, forgetting their own food," Drool over your own food….or you'll be wearing it." 

The class readily obeyed as if God had spoken. "They are terribly over reactive, they act like I'm a fire breathing dragon who's ready to sneeze, but I guess it keeps guys from taking the girls I want to go out with, right?" Lamont spouted, looking rather annoyed suddenly. He wiped it off his face quickly as the teacher came back in, Jin tripping over his own feet to run back to his desk. The teacher had a paper towel crammed on her face and she was eyeing a still eating Stephen angrily. "Class, I hope you all had a lovely chat with our new student….Now nobody talk…..or spit anything, not even paper, out of their mouth. I don't care if you're choking. The food stays in your mouth….I'm not feeling well right now."

Lamont got an evil look in his eye as she tried to sit down and made a retching noise, just loud enough for the teacher to hear him. Stephen nearly laughed with a full mouth as the teacher made a face and ran right back out of the room without a word. 

"Score, Stephen, total score." Lamont beamed, and both youths gave each other a victory sign.

~

"So that's how you avoid that orchid-haired femme? I never thought anyone could even reach the locker room windows. I guess we're lucky they got rid of all the snow or we'd have been trapped." Lamont laughed, kicking up a tuft of snow as he and Stephen walked down the street. 

Yeah, lucky me. I can't stand Angie….she thinks I'm her boyfriend cause I beat her in a fight. I was trying to save my nose from being shoved into my brain at the time, I had no thoughts about winning a date with her. She's a real maniac. She even throws herself at my tutor to try and make me jealous, the poor guy gets this stricken look whenever he hears her voice. Hell, so do I. She's totally weird….but she is sort'a my friend. I just wish she'd see it that way."

Lamont offered an apologetic shrug. "Reminds me of why I got kicked out, not the love thing, but the fight stuff. You've been waiting all day to hear me spill to you what everyone else knows."

"All I know is what Angie told me, that you got kicked out for something." Stephen replied sheepishly. 

"Yeah, it never would have happened if that cop hadn't opened his big fat mouth!" Lamont swore, raising up his fists angrily, his face looking strained," I was just trying to be nice to my principal, I was waiting in the locker near his office with a present from my mother. I wanted to surprise him by jumping out and say 'Happy Birthday,' but it backfired. I gave him such a shock he had a heart attack."

"A heart attack? The poor guy….but he must have known you didn't mean it. It was an accident." Stephen gaped, and Lamont nodded.

"He did, he told me it was ok even when they took him into the ambulance, but one of the school security cops said I did it on purpose cause I was a sadistic little brat. I beat the crap out of the guy….I was real stupid to do it in front of so many people, and a cop of all people. The cop said he wouldn't press charges against the school if I left. So I got expelled and here I am. I even lost my girlfriend, my lovely gold girlfriend, over it." He sighed, running a lone hand through his hair.

"Damn, that's terrible. But, I guess hitting a cop doesn't give off many options. Sorry about that….but why'd your girlfriend leave you?" Stephen gawked.

"I still don't know. It was the same day I got in trouble, it was dark out and raining. I took her to our favorite place in the park, a nice little gazebo we shared our first date at….she was looking at me real funny. Then she said we shouldn't see each other anymore," he said, sighing again," I was too surprised to answer and before I knew it, she ran off. She left me there….It still hurts a little, she never told me why. I even called her up a few times before we moved, but her father told me never to call again. I guess….I disappointed her….She was really something, blonde, smart and beautiful, everything I've ever wanted in a woman."

"Really?" Stephen asked, getting a rapid nod, then Lamont got a hopeful look in his eyes, clasping his hands together tightly. "Yeah, blondes are the perfect females. Angels in my eyes, so perfect. My _itoshii kin*, a_h, I wonder if I'll ever meet someone as perfect as she was." Lamont smiled.

"Isn't that a bit picky? All women are pretty….it just takes getting to know them to know if their beautiful on the inside….kind'a like the woman I want." Stephen replied, looking almost wistful about it. 

"Blondes are my kind of women, say what you want, but they are the best," Lamont went on, then eyed Stephen who looked lost in thought," What woman?"

"You wouldn't know her, she has long black hair….she might be a bit older than me, college at best….I've never had the guts to tell her that I kind'a like her, that and she never sticks around long enough for me to say much. Its difficult to explain." Stephen chuckled, a pink blush tingling on his cheekbones.

"I bet….by the way, where are we going anyway?" Lamont asked, shivering a bit as a biting cold breeze swept past them.

"My favorite place to hang out, Haitsuchi's****Arcade Heaven. My friends work there…and my tutor is there. You can check it out while I get my lessons. Leave whenever you please if you want to see the rest of the city." Stephen let out, pulling his shirt up tighter around himself.

"An arcade!!?? Mega cool!!!! I love video games! Let's get moving or we'll be popsicles before we even get to see what they have!" Lamont said loudly, sprinting ahead of Stephen suddenly up the street.

"Hey wait, you nit-wit! You don't know how to get there. Wait up!!" Stephen shouted.

**__**

~ Haitsuchi's Arcade Heaven ~

"Totally cool! Tohoku never had this much at our arcade. There are games here I've only heard about on the Internet. You're so lucky, S." Lamont said happily, his hands clasped together again and his eyes bright as stars. He looked about ready to explode being so happy. Stephen just shrugged. "I've lived here as long as its been here, even longer. My friend Alan runs it….his brother Gary should be around here somewhere waiting for me….I've been late for my tutoring sessions all because of Angie's obsessions. I'm lucky he needs the money so bad or I'd never have a tutor. They're both good friends."

"They sound it. I'm glad we're friends too. You're the first friend I made here, I hope they accept me as much as you did, Oh, way cool! Look there, S!" Lamont yelped, running to Stephen's left, towards a large grade with a large orange "V" on a golden crescent moon emblem screaming across it. Lamont looked positively ecstatic over it, touching the symbol as if it were pure gold. 

"What? Did I miss something?" Stephen asked as he stepped up beside him. Lamont gave him a look as if to say "What planet are you from?" and then went back to looking at the emblem. "The most beautiful super heroine in the world, Lady Venus. I read all about the Lady V arcade game on the Internet, but my arcade refused to carry it for some reason. She is the most drop dead gorgeous woman on the planet. Ah….she reminds me of my old girlfriend." He sighed, trying to look at the rest of the box.

As soon as he moved to his right, Gary's head popped out of nowhere and sent Lamont jumping a few feet in the air with a yell. Stephen would have laughed if Gary hadn't looked so serious, and if Lamont didn't look so put out. Stephen abolished the idea of laughing when he saw Lamont bring back a fist, ready to strike Gary square in the face.

"Hold it! That's my tutor, Lamont!" Stephen shouted, grabbing Lamont's fist as fast as he could. Lamont still looked eager to rearrange Gary's face, who was still looking on with serene patience. His jacket was slightly open at the top, his jet-black button-up shirt in partial view. 

"Come on, how are we going to be good friends if you go and kill my tutor? I'll flunk if Gary's not around. Come on, lighten up, he didn't mean to scare you." Stephen tried again, Lamont's fist beginning to soften a bit. Stephen waited a few more minutes before Lamont nodded and dropped his fist. "Sorry, I just don't like being surprised, is all."

Stephen laughed at that, overjoyed that he could finally let it out, but wishing it could have been about something a little less ridiculous. "You hate to be surprised? That's silly, when you go around surprising people from bushes….I'm…-chuckle-shocked."

His laughter died out when he noticed Lamont was already eyeing the game crate again. "Your taste in friends…I wonder how I ever got into that strange circle, meathead." Gary commented with a light chuckle, patting the crate.

"Life is full of interesting surprises, Gary. I can see Alan's got you earning some extra cash with some extra labor, huh? When did he order this puppy?" the white-haired youth commented, Gary looking at the crate with a tilt of his dark head.

"He didn't, that's the weird thing, but there's no return address. We have nowhere to send it back to and no money was lost on it, so I guess we keep it until whoever sent it comes back for it, if ever. This is a popular game in England….they made it for their super hero, Lady Venus, Lady V for short, like Japan has Lady Mercury, Moon and Mars Knight. I wonder if America has any. Really, you have to wonder." Gary explained, absentmindedly rubbing his chin.

"So….there's a Lady Venus too? Wonder if she's like our heroes….real weird, man. Reality is really slipping…." Stephen began, then was cut off by Lamont's swearing.

"Shit! Dammit! Fuck! Mother….f….f….Oh, forgot you were there. Sorry, I seem to have sliced open my finger on something on the crate. " Lamont said sheepishly, sucking on his bleeding finger. "On what? There were no nails sticking out, I haven't even tried to pry it open yet. I was waiting to ask Stephen for a little help, you know." Gary said snidely. 

"I don't know, maybe a piece of wood or glass on the floor, I didn't see it. I just reached my hand around and felt something scrape me. Its no big deal, sorry, I should have sworn so much. See? Its not even bleeding as much as before." He said, shaking out his finger slightly. 

"You sure? Believe me, this place has plenty of antiseptics….the meathead here is a walking doctor's dream. He gets all dreamy at the wrong times and wham, he walks right into something or someone that's in a fight." Gary said jokingly, nudging a blushing Stephen with his fist.

"Ugh, stop calling me meathead, Gary. As you recall, there was one occasion I wasn't daydreaming and got hurt anyway." Stephen grumbled.

Gary's smile fell, and he seemed to be clearing his throat as he looked away. "Yeah….there was that, but no more talk about the past. You lived through it and now you have another challenge to brave." Gary finally said, going behind towards the backroom and gesturing for both young men to follow.

"What's that?" Stephen asked. "Help me get the trolley out of the back closet so we can move the game into position. I've been mobbed ever since I got in by bubbling girls and drooling boys for me to open the crate and plug the game in," Gary told him," And not that I care, but where's your barnacle?"

"Another successful ditching….I just hope it lasts. Its too bad that she'll come here when I leave my sessions though. I'm out of ideas to get her off my back." Stephen sighed.

"One can only hope, I guess, for all our sakes." Gary said, a hit of annoyance in his soft voice.

**_~ 3 Hours Later ~_**

"Jeez, that sucker was damn heavy. I hope its worth the effort of pushing it around and getting splinters to play it, Gary." Stephen said sourly, rubbing his sweat stained shirt uncomfortably. Gary just shrugged, dusting the large black arcade game off with a piece of cloth. His shirt was sweat stained as well, but he hadn't bothered to take his good red shirt jacket off regardless. Lamont was busy looking at the life-size picture of Lady Venus that was on both sides of the game, ignoring his sweat stained shirt as well. 

She was rather pretty. She wore armor similar to what Angie wore as Lady Mercury, but her armor was yellow, as were her boots. The skirt was black like Mercury, but she looked a lot taller than Angie was, a lot prettier too. Her smile was as genuine as pure snow, her small, red, fancy mask covering her eyes. She was wielding a golden whip as well, one that had a trail of star-like sparkles at the end of it. 

"She's just like my old girlfriend. So beautiful, too beautiful to be real." Lamont said lightly, rushing at the controls of the game as Gary plugged it in. Stephen chuckled as the arcade filled with groans when Lamont started playing the game. He left his new friend to boob out at the controls and headed back with the trolley to the back room. He didn't bother to wait for Gary when he got there, stuffing the trolley in the closet.

He sifted through the closet and crabbed out one of Alan's work shirts. It had a small stain on the pocket, but he was willing to deal with since the shirt didn't smell like armpits. Stephen shut the closet, and started to shuck off his sweaty shirt as he walked carefully towards the poker table.

"Stephen!" He heard the yelp faintly through his shirt, then pulled it off to see Gary standing in the door. He could see the young man's thin, dark eyebrows raised a bit and he was biting his lip. "What?" Stephen asked, looked from his left to his right, then down at the shirts," I'll give it back. I just don't want to go home in that shirt and make my coat smell like sweat all the way back. Alan lets me borrow stuff sometimes."

Stephen frowned when Gary didn't answer, the young man looked as if he'd seen a ghost or something, or he was trying desperately to think of something to say. He watched as Gary clenched one hand, then opened it again. "Oh….sorry." was all that came out of his mouth.

Stephen gave him a slight nod and pulled Alan's shirt over his head, sitting down at the table while he tossed his shirt into a corner. "You acted like I was doing something wrong." Stephen sniffed, crossing his lithe arms over his chest. Gary sat down across from him, gasping a little with each breath. "Well, it wasn't just that. It's only been a couple months since….your accident. I was shocked….that you have no scars. Not even a little scratch. You really were as lucky as Angela and Ray said." Gary said quickly.

Stephen shrugged, trying to dog the memory. "Yeah….I should have been more careful….I should never have let that guy get under my skin, but aside from that, I think that girl I like likes me back. I saw her before then, and she smiled at me after I did. She has a pretty smile."

"Oh really….that's nice." Gary said, his voice going low. Stephen gave him a good-natured pat on the shoulder, and Gary started a bit. "Plenty of fish in the sea, G-man, there's someone for everyone. Don't be so glum, save that for tutoring. Now that's depressing." 

"Yeah, what do you think I was preparing for, meathead? Time to learn once again what you already know. Get your books," Gary said quietly, getting up to go into the bathroom," But first, I'd like to change into something less….sticky. Be out in five."

"Yeah, take your time….Its not like what you teach me is something I have trouble with." Stephen called out, leaning back in his chair, letting his eyes close a little for a short nap.

~

Lamont could barely hear anything but the Lady V game, blasting apart Dark Universe fiends with Lady Venus' astral whip. He couldn't even feel people tapping him and nudging at his shoulders for him to give someone else a try. He was at level 10 now, there was no way anyone or anything was going to prevent him from going higher. 

He smiled as his Lady Venus kicked the dark prince off the screen, taking him to the next level, then a dark blur leapt onto the controls and made him fall backwards in shock. He grimaced for a moment, then grit his teeth when he saw a nasty sounding red-headed girl with a bright yellow bow on her head taking the controls and trying to play. He grit them harder when he heard "Game Over."

'Stupid, she ruined my game. I hope she loses all her quarters.' He thought, then felt a sudden bit of weight land on his chest. He lifted his head up slightly to look at it, finding it was a thin, velvety black cat with crescent moon bald spot on its forehead.

"Meow." It said, licking his chin. Lamont laughed at the sandpapery tongue tickled his skin. He sat up and cradled the cat in his arms. "You ruined my game, you know that? You're lucky you're so cute or I'd have stomped your face in the second you landed. It is just a game after all, right?" he told it, rubbing its soft, small head.

The cat started to purr and rubbed up against Lamont's face and gave him another gentle lick, this time on the cheek. "You're a nice kitty, you know that. Its ok, really, I can play another time. You're going to drown me at this rate."

"You have a way with animals, even such a low rate one." Said a sultry voice. Lamont stopped short in his petting for a moment, turning his head towards the voice to find himself staring at a pair of slender, pale and smooth legs. He gulped a bit, still holding the cat as he tilted his head up her body. He felt his body shiver the entire time as he took in the short, black skirt and frilly blouse. Her hair was very long, but as dark as midnight. She was too pretty to ignore, every about her but her skin was pitch black, even her eyes. He had to mentally shake himself as he stared into her endless eyes, regaining his calm as she smiled down at him with blood-red lips. "Aren't we a handsome young man. Perfection….I like that." She said, charm just dripping off of her sexy voice. 

'Dang, she's hot….but….something is really wrong about her. Why do I feel like screaming all of a sudden and running away from her?" he thought, finally able to get back on his feet.

"Cats are ok, its not mine though." He told her, then bit his lip as he felt her hands settling on his hips, touching him in ways no women he was familiar with did in public. 'Is she trying to seduce me? God….she's going a bit too far. I don't like fast women.' His mind screamed, his body jerking back into the girl player as he felt the woman's hands try and creep up his shirt.

"Shy, aren't we? You don't want to play with Maven?" she cooed, and he shook his head rapidly. "No, I don't play like that, lady. Go molest some willing pervert or something. I happen to be a gentleman. Ow!" he told her, yelling as the girl behind him started whacking him over the head with her purse and hands.

"Suit yourself, pretty one. If you change your mind, I'll be around." She cooed, blowing him a kiss. He was too busy trying to dodge the purse to even bother to acknowledge the gesture. He did notice Stephen and Gary appearing a ways off from the entrance, both laughing at his plight as they came over to rescue him. 'Not my day, is it?' he thought.

**_~ Meanwhile ~_**

Raven smiled back at the beautiful red-headed male she'd tried to win over. He had great power in his soul, a lot of sorrow and anger and love in his perfect body, but he'd been able to resist her seduction. That made her want him all the more to feed the Dark Goddess. 'She'll be bloated from all the wonderful energy in his body. Mmm, I'll be rewarded for this ten times over. Still, with that kind of power, he'd make an excellent warrior to serve me. Shame he was able to resist. I'll have to find myself a more willing fool to get that pretty boy for me.' She thought, looking around the arcade innocently at all the young, energetic teenagers moving about it. 

She looked back a moment towards her red-headed prize, seeing a white-haired young man and a sunglasses wearing young man with black hair were pushing him and the odd looking cat away from the screaming girl. 'So much beauty, so little time.' She mused, licking her lips as she turned away. Her eyes settled upon another young man, he had a few face piercings and a tattoo on his left arm. He was a bit lanky, his hair all shaved off to only leave a few dark stubbles of hair on his head. He wasn't wonderful to look at, but from the way he was hanging all over a cheerleader pair trying to drink malts and getting shoved at, she knew he would be easy prey.

She approached him as the cheerleaders walked away from their table, both slapping him on their way off. He sat back down at his booth, all alone and cracking his knuckles and smiling, as if he had the slightest chance with those girls. He stopped his actions all together when Raven set her slim hand on his chin. "Hey there handsome, want to be with a real woman?"

He looked her up and down, then nodded rapidly, putting his hands on her hips. "Oh, I like 'em frisky, but I get first dibs. I just need you to do one, little thing for me, dream. Tell me you'll devote yourself to me, and I'll give you everything you've ever dreamed of right now." She said, putting all her charm into her voice. 

"Anything for a night with you, babe. I'll devote anything to you if we can bump hips, honey. You got it, devotion, now give me some of that spice you seem to have so much of." He said back, his alcohol laced breath blasting in her face.

'Oh well, it's a small sacrifice that a little water can cure. Heh, if he only knew what I'm going to give him.' She thought, and took his hand.

"Let's hit the closet now before you lose your nerve, stud. This'll be an experience you'll never forget….trust me." She replied, pulling the young punk along with her to the backroom of the arcade. She tossed the guy in the moment they reached it and slammed the door shut, then looked at him wickedly. He actually looked a little scared, even backed up as she walked in her most seductive manner towards him. 

"Playtime's over, human, time to fulfil your promise to me." She told him, her body coming alive with dark energy. The young man barely had time to scream as Raven shot forth her dark energy into him, her evil seed embedding itself in his soul.

~

"Cyrus, you naughty kitty. Are you bothering people again? You never learn." Stephen mock scolded the cat, which let out a tiny meow and licked his cheek. "This is your cat? He's cute….and real friendly. Aren't you, Cyrus? That's a neat name….it means something about the sun, right?" Lamont piped, petting the cat as he tried to rub his own sore head. Cyrus leapt suddenly out of Stephen's arms and at Lamont, who caught the cat easily, but a bit lopsided. He had been rubbing head still, but steadied the cat in his arms and started to pet it.

"Hmm, that's funny, Cyrus never lets anybody hold him but me and my friends. I guess he knows we're friends now. Cats are funny animals, they seem to know thinks we don't." Stephen replied, scratching at his own head. Gary just smiled and walked past them. 

"You two better get home. If Stephen's father flips out again about you being late getting home again, I think I might have to get a hearing aid. The man can sure yell for such a skinny shrimp." Gary said, patting at his ear.

Stephen nodded, pulling on his coat closed. "Yeah, he may be a twig, but he's got a hell of a set of lungs. Sorry he keeps bothering you, Gary. If it weren't for Angie hanging around and stalking me, I wouldn't have to take the long way home," he said, then looked towards the entrance," But she knows its too cold now to do that, so I guess I can walk home the normal route today. See you tomorrow, bud."

Lamont offered a wave good-bye and grabbed up his jacket off the crate pieces, dropping Cyrus to the ground gently before putting it on. "Yeah, see you tomorrow. I got to try that game again. It's so cool!"

"Yeah, whatever. Just try not to get attacked by more girls on your way home. We won't be there to bail you out, Lamont. Later." Gary offered, then walked off to Alan behind the café.

~

"Your cat is awful friendly. He been neutered yet?" Lamont commented, getting a hiss own of Cyrus," Sorry, Cyrus, but normally animals don't like me this much. I had a puppy once and it was always biting my hands when I tried to pet it, but it never bit Mom and Dad. It was weird. Had a cat later on.…but that's a different story all together."

"How 'bout that. Cyrus, quit kissing up, he likes you, ok? Jeez, queer cat." Stephen grumbled, the biting cold getting to him as they passed the park. Cyrus yowled at Stephen venomously and tried to slash his claw out at, him, but Lamont held the cat tightly. 

"Very emotional kitty cat you own, S. You have any other weird things at your house I should know about?" Lamont chuckled, trying to coax Cyrus back into a calm state.

"Just my larva of a little sister, Casey. Parents are parents, pretty much all of them yell about something they don't like. Your parents probably do the same." Stephen said wryly, stopping short with a high pitched yelp as a branch dropped a load of snow on his white head.

Lamont laughed hard, dropping Cyrus to the ground as he tried to help his friend dust off. Stephen's face was blue by the time Lamont had scooped out a good amount of snow out of his coat and hair. If Stephen's hair wasn't so white, it would have been easier to tell the snow from the hair. He really couldn't tell, and the fact that it started snowing again wasn't helping matters. Lamont sucked back a few laughs when he'd yank Stephen's hair after mistaking it for snow. He finally decided Stephen could handle it on his own and that he was only going to keep hurting the poor guy's head if he went on helping.

Stephen was slapping madly at his head and taking off his coat to shake it out when Lamont felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned to see a guy his age standing behind him, piercings along his eyebrows, nostrils and ears and a tattoo on one arm. He was wearing a sleeveless leopard vest and tight black pants. His boots were black as well, covered in snow and what looked like dried mud.

"Yes?" Lamont asked.

He wished he hadn't said anything at all as the guy's face started to distort like it was made of wax, bloody, reddish wax. It was like staring at something out of a scary movie, and it was standing right in front of him.

He took a few tentative steps backwards as the former youth began growing and his melting flesh swirled about him in a cyclone of blood and bone. The eyes of the youth twisted up like some sickly taffy, stretching and pulling each other over one another repeatedly. "Uh, Stephen….Stephen….that's not normal!" Lamont managed out, slapping one hand behind him in hopes he would make contact with his friend.

"What's not nor….mal?? Oh shit, not now!" Stephen groaned, and Lamont felt his friend tug him by the arm and pull him back hard," Start running, Lamont, don't look back….Argh!"

Lamont would have listened under any other circumstance if the still changing monstrosity hadn't grabbed Stephen, tossing the white-headed youth into the pavement like a ton of bricks. The cement actually caved in a bit when Stephen's body met with it, blood bubbling out of his mouth as he tried waving at Lamont, trying to yell out something, but the blood was cutting him off.

"Run…." Was all he could make out, but he knew he couldn't. 'He's my friend, I can't abandon him.' He thought, rushing at the creature as it went to stomp Stephen with its dripping foot.

"Die boy, we only want the pretty one for Lady Raven. I am Flux, your destroyer." It bubbled out, not even paying Lamont a bit of attention. Flux mad a noise that was a cross between a gurgle and a belch when he felt his body get hefted into the air, looking down slightly to see the red-headed boy was holding him up, a feral look on his face. "I don't care if you're the queen of England, nobody hurts my friends!" Lamont shouted, tossing the twisted creature across the street into a lamppost. The creature's sheer weight caused it to snap, letting Flux land smack on the exposed wires. 

Lamont looked on proudly as Flux was shocked out of his mind, blood-curdling screams ripping through the once quiet streets for what seemed like forever. When it all stopped, Lamont ran over to where Stephen was half-sitting, cough a little, but thankfully it wasn't blood. "You ok, man?" he asked.

Stephen was staring a little dazed at him, but gave off a slight nod, then started to get up. "Hey, man, you just got choke slammed by a walking piece of crappy art. Take it easy." He tried, but Stephen got up anyway, shrugging his attempts off. "I'll be fine, I've had worse," He said, then his eyes widened a bit," Besides, it's not over yet. Look!"

Lamont almost cringed at his friend's words, turning about slowly to where he'd thrown Flux. The thing was on its melting feet again, staring at both youths angrily, or as angry as it could look with a melted face. "Ugh, Lady Raven, I will bring you your chosen one. The energy of the boy will belong to the Dark Universe!!" it boomed, taking a sluggish step forward.

"Forget it, slime-ball. The Dark Universe will never gain any of the knights!" Lamont heard the voice distinctly, but it wasn't Stephen's. It was a male voice, but not any one he'd heard. "He's a knight, Cyrus?" that was Stephen's voice. 'Wait! Cyrus? That's Stephen's cat!?' he thought wildly, and quickly scanned the snow laced ground for the feline. He found it staring up at him, then taking a leap up at his chest. He caught the cat easily and watched it. The bald spot on its forehead started to shimmer a bright gold, so bright he shut his eyes for a moment to protect his eyes. When the light died away, he saw a ring was on his finger, one with a green lightening bolt set on it. "Welcome back, Jupiter Knight." Cyrus said. "Freaky." Was all Lamont could say.

"Speaking of freaks….This one doesn't look impressed. Maybe its time to shed a little moonlight on the subject," Stephen said, pulling out a sword pendant out from under his shirt, "**_Moon Sword, Transform!_**"

Lamont did a double take as he watched his friend grow silver armor, a mask and helmet over his clothes, then watched him pull out a long sword and point it at the monster Flux.

"Mmm, try 'Jupiter Thunder, transform' for yourself, Lamont. Quickly before you get turned into Jupiter pudding." Cyrus yelped, leaping out of Lamont's arms as Flux started to charge.

"Ahh! **_Jupiter Thunder, Transform_!!** Oh God!!!!" he shouted out, a dark green light taking over his entire body as Flux barreled down upon the pair.

Flux kept coming, his slimy fingers reaching out hungrily to grab the youth Raven wanted. When he reach the glowing youth and grabbed for him, there was nothing to grab but air. He stared at the empty spot for a second, puzzled at how a mere human could move so fast.

"Over here, booger face! Too slow!" he heard, it was the target's voice. He whirled to face it, but his body writhed with a belch of disgust when he saw two knights standing a few feet away from him. The one with the sword was in silver armor, the Moon Knight if he recalled Raven's warnings correctly. He also had an odd black cat on his shoulder that was swiping at his helmet too, one with crescent moon on his forehead The knight beside him was one she hadn't mentioned.

His armor is emerald green, the same style as the silver knight's armor, a helmet, and mask to go with it, but his weapon was different. It was an emerald pole-arm tipped with a wicked silver blade at the top. It was crackling with electricity each time the knight in green flexed his armored fingers. 

"I'm not going to any weird bitch just cause a pile of bloody snot tells me to. I am Jupiter Knight, the keeper of lightening and thunder. And I'm going to use it to fry your grizzly ass!" Jupiter Knight stated, rapping his pole arm down hard on the pavement.

"Hah! Knight or human, who cares, Raven will reward me handsomely for your capture! And your identities!" Flux laughed, charging at them again.

"He never learns, does he?" Jupiter commented.

"No, they never do….Ow, Cyrus, what? Stop hitting me! What?" Moon Knight glowered as Lamont rushed forward to meet with Flux.

"That monster isn't a monster, he's human! Raven put her dark energy into him and made him turn into something from his mind. You two have got to wear him down enough so her energy is weakened upon his mind, but don't kill him or you'll be killing a human being." Cyrus hissed, hitting Stephen again. Stephen slapped the cat away and glowered at him as Flux and Jupiter began to fight, slime and electrical crackles filling the air.

"Then what? Think happy-happy thoughts to him so he changes back? Woo hoo, the light wins, dark looses over a pep talk?" Moon griped.

"No, stupid! Your sword has the power to heal the darkest of hearts as well as destroy them. It's called 'Celestial Healing Light', all you have to do is raise your sword to the heavens and say the words. The sword will do the rest, trust me. This young man's life is at stake." Cyrus yowled, every hair on his back standing on end.

"Fine, if you say so, but if this doesn't work, it's the meat grinder for you." Moon replied, then rushed off towards Jupiter and Flux.

Jupiter was having the time of his life, but he knew he was getting nowhere with his thrusts and slashes. Flux's slimy exterior was just that. It was like trying to slice through soup. He wasn't making a dent in the viscous body. "This is sick! Don't you ever quit!?" Jupiter yelled, taking another slash at the creatures twisted face. 

"Never human! Let me give you a hand, though." Flux cackled, slamming his slimy fist, his arm stretching all the way, into Jupiter's chest to send him flying. Jupiter yelped when his back crashed into a parked car. 'God, can't believe no one is hearing any of this….does everybody wear earplugs on this block….oh man, my ears are ringing. I can't beat this guy, not like this….I need more power.' He thought, getting nimbly to his feet as Moon Knight started to battle the slimy monstrosity. 

"**_Celestial Beam!_**" Moon shouted, a beam of light ripping away from his sword as he slashed it a few feet away from the creature. Flux staggered back, his slime skin charred on his right side. It looked as though it was bleeding black blood from the burned portion.

"I can do that…I can…." Jupiter heard himself say, his feet starting to move his body slowly towards the other side of the wounded Flux," Yes, I feel it….the power….of Jupiter….the power, in my heart….must let it go….and save my friend. Save them all….I….must….Yes….**_ Spiral Shocker!!_**"

~

Stephen saw Jupiter wobbling over towards him and Flux, almost trance-like, just like Ray had when he became Mars Knight. It was almost sing-song the way he was talking, like it was something he was feeling….or remembering. When Jupiter shouted out the attack name, both hands were holding his pole-arm and he rammed the bottom part into the ground. It crackled with thousands of electric tendrils of emerald green, the blade on top spinning them madly on a wide sphere about Jupiter's body. 

Moon barely had time to leap out of the way as the crackling cyclone of energy ripped past Jupiter's body and crashed into Flux's, lighting him up like a Christmas tree. The wails the creature made were enough to pop his eardrums, and the smell of burning slime was worse. 'Now that is really gross. God, smells like a dead dog mixed with rotten garbage, Raven's one sick femme.' He thought, still holding his ground as the creature just stood there. Black blood was pouring down its body, then Flux just collapsed face first onto the street with a wet thump.

"Good, you didn't kill him. Nice job, Jupiter. You've found your power…." Cyrus was saying. Moon found the cat was standing right by Jupiter, the emerald knight smiling brightly at his achievement, but he also looked very tired. His chest was heaving a bit, and a few droplets of sweat glistened on his cheeks.

"I guess its my turn now. This better work or ….well, let's hope there is no or else, ok?" Moon Knight sighed, raising sword up into the air as he stepped up to the groaning mass of burnt slime," Heal this darkened soul, **_Celestial Healing Light!_**"

The sword glowed a gentle white, swirls of petal-like flurries swirling out from the soft glow. The shimmering white petals all fell quietly upon Flux, light shooting out from every inch of his body as they landed. After a few minutes, all Moon Knight could see of Flux's body was whiteness, the body seeming to vanish in the snow. 

When the light was gone, he saw a young man with a shave head in black pants and dirty boots, and a torn and slightly charred leopard vest. He saw a few silver earrings on the ear that was facing him and the slow rise and fall of breaths from his body. 

"What do we do with him?" Jupiter asked, coming up beside Moon Knight slowly. 

"He'll be fine in a few minutes. He won't remember a thing, thanks to you two. This has been a marvelous day. Raven's lost this round and we have a new knight on our side. Peachy." Cyrus said happily, but all Stephen did was grumble.

"Nearly got him and me killed in the process. Next time warn me, Cyrus," Moon Knight hissed, phasing out of his knight form back into Stephen," So when did you take a chunk out of him? The arcade, right?"

Cyrus lifted his nose up at him, chasing after Stephen as the young man was putting his coat back on. "Chunk? What do you mean by that?" Jupiter said, still in his knight form.

Stephen was about to answer him when he heard a low moan. The former Flux was waking up. "Think yourself back to being Lamont, quick! He can't see you like that and me like this! Do it now!" Stephen said in a quick and hushed tone. 

Jupiter nodded rapidly and after a few seconds, the knight was gone and Lamont stood there no worse for wear. "I bit him back at the arcade when he reached around the box, quick and discreet. I know your friend Gary would love to send me to a vet to get a rabies shot if he saw me bite another youngster. Now….mmph!" Cyrus was saying, but Stephen quickly grabbed him up and crammed his hand on the cat's mouth. "Shut up! Talking cat, secret, you know. The guy is….Oh, hi." 

The punk was standing just behind Lamont, looking like he'd been drugged heavily as he swayed back and forth lucidly. "Who are you? How'd I get out here?" he asked.

"I don't know who you are? You were following us, then you collapsed. You been drinking, pal?" Lamont said simply, and the punk gave him a dirty look. "Please, why would I follow a couple of losers like you? I'm out'a here, kids. Was unpleasant meeting you." He snorted, walking off in a drunken manner down the street.

"You sure we had to save his life?" Stephen asked, and yelped as Cyrus swiped at him," I'm kidding, I was kidding. Jeez, no sense of humor….but, on the serious side, my father isn't going to be kidding when he screams Gary's ear off, then mine. That dumb monster made me miss curfew….Oh well, what else is new?"

"I bet my parents are having a dozen heart attacks right now. It was a great day Stephen, I'm glad you two helped me become a big time hero! This'll definitely get me a ton of dates."

"Hey, you can't go telling people about this. It's deadly serious. You can't tell anyone about this or they'll be used against you….or Raven could come and kill you. This isn't like the comic books, kid, it's real. Just like Stephen's accident wasn't an accident. Raven put him in the hospital when she dropped a roof on his head. We can be hurt, we can even die if we're not careful." Cyrus shouted, his eyes furrowed down angrily.

"He's right, though, as demanding as he is, he's right. The fate of the world is in our hands, and the other knights. We're the only people that can stop the Dark Universe, whether we like it or not." Stephen said quietly.

"Others? There are others?.… Oh sure….I'd be devastated if my folks got hurt if I blabbed. Ok, I can keep a secret, sure. So when do I meet the other knights? Huh?" Lamont asked excitedly.

"I'll tell you about it at the arcade. I'll have them all come down to meet you. Frankly, if Raven pulls this crap again, I think we'll need all the help we can get. She's not going to make the same mistake twice. It'll only get harder….but we'll show her that no one is taking Earth without a fight." Stephen replied, raising a tight fist above his head.

"Yeah, we'll send her packing! Victory to the knights of Earth." Lamont said happily, shooting his fist up in the air as well. 

"Oh brother, not more drama." Cyrus whined.

"Oh, cork it. We won, let us enjoy the taste of victory." Stephen hissed.

"Its tastes kind'a cold right now. Let's celebrate at your house. I can have my parents pick me up from there. Its too cold to walk all the way back to my house." Lamont shivered, his teeth starting to chatter.

Stephen nodded, and then took off down the street in a hard run. "Last one there's a rotten egg!"

"Hey, no fair, I wasn't ready!" Lamont yelled, laughing as he took off after his friend and grabbed up a heap of snow in his hand," Cheater! What kind of leader cheats?"

"A smart one! Hey, don't you dare throw that, Lamont! You'll regret it!" Stephen shouted back, getting a snowball in the face anyway," Oh, I cheat huh? Eat this!"

The boys were bombarding each other the entire way home with snowballs as Cyrus tailed them with distaste in his eyes. 

"Utter children. God help us." He mumbled.

**__**

*Itoshii kin–_lovely gold in Japanese._


	10. Ch 10Friends in Wonderland

Chapter 10 **__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the** "Sailor Moon" **series. This goes along the lines of the original series, but an alternate dimension. Trust me, eventually, my knight will meet the scouts. Patience is a virtue, so awaiting that moment won't be so bad. REVIEW!!

****

Chapter 10

__

**_Friends in Wonderland_**

~ The Dark Universe ~

- Raven's Grotto - 

"Ooooo!!!! I was beaten, that damn loser human wasn't worth the darkness I infected him with…..I should have chosen a far better subject than some skinny punk," she hissed, then her face softened,, her leather clothing clinging to her tightly," But I'm not like Viper, I learn from my mistakes."

She looked behind herself, at the young man she'd chosen hours after Flux had been defeated. He was strong and handsome, cerulean hair cropped tight on his head and bright blue eyes looking at her blankly. He'd been wonderful to her senses, and very easy to seduce. He was still being conditioned with her dark essence, she wanted plenty inside the boy before she sent him back to his world. 

"It's be a shame, my pretty one, I wanted that red-haired lovely so much, but Flux failed me. But you, you won't fail me, my strong, handsome slave. You humans are so easily controlled, yet so much fun to offer. You will make me proud, find the red-haired beauty I seek and bring him to me. I want him to be a part of the Dark Universe, don't dare fail me." She said sweetly, taking his stiff lips in her sweet, dark ones.

Xeno stood prone in the shadows, a sneer coming to his pale lips. "Be careful, my dark beauty, don't get too attached to your toys or they might get broken. Very broken." He said, stepping out casually.

Raven slowly pulled away from the stiff human and walked around him with a sultry grin, draping herself against Xeno's body languidly. "Don't be jealous. Once he does his job, he's going to feed the dark goddess, just like all the other lovely people I've…touched. You'll be so proud of me when you see what I've got cooked up for those armored geeks." She cooed, licking his chin. 

Xeno stared at her stiffly, a look of indifference apparent on his face. "You play to much with your toys, dark child. Playing with your food is unbecoming of a dark Universe lady, especially a princess. What makes him so special?" he grunted.

"Jealous, you get jealous of the silliest things. Humans are cattle, our food, not our lovers, not our friends. We only have each other, darkling," she said sweetly, walking back in the same sexy manner as she had come to him," And he is quite special, seems he has a bit of a psychic ability, which is very good. The knights can't be psychic or they would have tracked this dimension down by now, so they'll never see this coming, let alone be able to fight it. My plan is perfect….just like me."

"I know that. Psychic humans are very….plentiful. Don't waste him, precious one, losing him won't be a good way to try for a comeback. Flux was a colossal failure because you chose a weak human, well, they are all weak, but that one was pathetic. You are capable of snaring something much better…and you have….When will you begin the wonderful game with our foes?" he asked, still looking disinterested.

"Tomorrow….we strike at the festival and get some luscious children, boundless energy for the Dark Goddess. And more. Trust me love, now leave me. I have to continue….preparations." she smiled, rubbing the side of the statue-like youth.

Xeno took his leave as she started feeling up the unresponsive human, a slight sneer crossing his lips, his face brought close to cracking with hate.

'Power has gone to her beautiful head. She best prove to Specter that her tactics are sound. Failure might cost her more than her pride this time….I can't allow her to fail, she can't, she has too much….potential, for a lot of things.' He thought, Raven's image flashing through his mind.

**_~ Tsukikage Household ~_**

"Casey, you little larva!! Open this damn door right now!! You are not making me take your bratty rear to the carnival! That's it! Open the damn door!" Stephen yelled through the closet door, with one of the kitchen chairs propped under the knob to prevent his escape.

Casey was sitting on it, her arms crossed over her little chest, her pink dress and shoes dully rippling as she did. "No! Mom and Dad said you had to take me or else you're grounded for another 2 weeks. Come on, you feather brain, you take me there or I'm never letting you out. And I know you had a lot to drink this morning, so you can't hold out forever. Do it or be stuck having to relieve yourself on Dad's leather shoes, which'll get ya life, big brother." She sassed, her brown hair shift unevenly over her petite shoulders, her face scowling.

"Yeah right, I'll just say you did it. You're the one who wets her bed every damn night. You're worse than Grandma was before she croaked, you leaking loser. Why they took you out of diapers is beyond me. You're like leaky faucet, you brat! Let me out of here!!" Stephen shouted, kicking the door.

Casey barely flinched at his threat, thinking about what a jerk her brother was. Her parents had promised her they'd take her to the carnival once it came to town, but then their jobs got in the way and Stephen was put on the job. He had waited until they left that morning to say "Go to your room. Deal's off, brat. I already made plans to go with a friend to the carnival, not with a little tick like you. Now you'll know what its like not to get what you want when you want it. Eat it up, shrimp."

When he had gone into the hall closet to grab his coat, she'd slammed the door on him and locked it, but he had begun hitting it moments later and struggling with the lock. She'd used the chair to seal him in, and he had been like that for 2 hours, and she bet his bladder was close to bursting by now. 'He has to take me, Mom and Dad can't, I want to go now!' she thought, thinking she'd walk off to the carnival herself with his wallet he had foolishly left on the counter and let him wet himself while she had fun alone.

Then came the ringing of the doorbell, and a few minutes later a knocking with a muffled voice, a guy's voice.'Must be his geek friend. I'll go tell he's all tied up, heh, wish he was. I'm the favorite, not him, he's going to learn what it means to mess with the queen bee of this house. She quickly got off of the chair and ran for the door, undoing the lock on it slowly, just to make the guy wait a little longer, then pulled it open to let in the sight of the young man.

"Hi there, little lady. You must be Casey." Said a energetic and charm filled voice. Casey's wide brown eyes looked up from the pair of jeans wearing legs, lithe and tightly fit, up to a green coat and then a smiling, creamy colored face with dazzling green eyes and fiery red, spiky hair. He was gorgeous, and smiling right at her.

"Uh….yes. Who….who are you?" she said stupidly, his eyes even more brilliant the more she stared. 'He's cute. Like a prince in those mushy fairy tales mom reads. Wow!' she thought, clasping her small hands together with an admiring smile.

"Lamont Inabikari, Casey, I got to school with your brother. He said we were going to hit the carnival today, can you get him? Or may I come in?" he asked politely, still smiling.

"My brother?…what brother? OH, my brother!" she squeaked running back into the house, Lamont at her heels.

"Man, I gotta go to the bathroom! Let me out you little…I mean, let me out, and I'll take you to the carnival, Casey, just let me out!!" Stephen's voice rang out, making Lamont speed ahead of Casey, yanking the chair away from the closet to let Stephen out.

Stephen fell out, since he was leaning against the door backwards and smashed into the carpet hard, staring up puzzled at his little sister, then at Lamont, who looked equally shocked. Casey was smiling weirdly. "That's all I wanted to hear, big brother. Your friend and me will wait outside for you. Hee….hee." She giggled, happily in fact.

'She never does that…oh damn forget her. Nature is screaming a banshee's tune in my gut!' he thought painfully, shooting up from his sprawled position and sprinted for the bathroom saying, " Fine, just don't bother me!"

~

"Little spit-fire, ain't she? It's cute. You said she was a holy terror all right, but you never said how adorable your baby sister was. You could make a franchise with that face. "Lamont said, loud enough that Casey could hear it as she walked between the two taller boys. She was blushing as he spoke, his kind words something she'd only heard from her parents, never her brother.

Stephen grumbled audibly and gave a scowl off towards Lamont. "Stop encouraging her, pretty soon she'll be begging mom and dad to let her model diapers. The little larva locked me in the closet, not mentioned million other huge annoyances she's given me ever since she could speak and walk. Isn't that right?" Stephen said, ruffling his sister's hair. She didn't really notice it, staring up at Lamont with admiring eyes.

"I would have liked a little brother or sister. I grew up with just my parents, sort'a." Lamont commented, his bright gaze suddenly glossing over. "I won't pry, Lamont. You know me….unlike some people here, I don't butt into other peoples' business." Stephen said, glaring at Casey, who was still, oblivious to everything but Lamont.

'The little imp is sweet on him. Yuck….she's just a little kid. And he doesn't even see it. Life just keeps kicking me whenever I least expect it. Maybe we'll lose her….nah, I'll never get out for that house if I do that. Just take the day as it goes and make sure she behaves, as always. I guess this is the age Mom and Dad start ignoring her, couple more than I got.' He thought harshly, picking his sister up with sigh into his arms, holding her up like a doll. 

She didn't even seem to acknowledge the fact he was touching her. 'Just like when she was born, Mom let me hold her. Was the only time, and the only time we got along. Heh, leave it to parents to turn her into a spoiled brat. I might as well enjoy the quiet while it lasts.' He thought, smiling fondly as he saw hear the festivities of the carnival reached his ears.

**_~ Yoygi Park ~_**

"Whee!! Mom and Dad should make you do things more often. Yay!" Casey yelled, slamming into Lamont's then her brother's side in the tea cup ride she had begged to get on, for the 10th time.

"Yeah, yeah, I just would like continue seeing sunshine. Don't you dare puke on us, Casey, or we're taking you back home." Stephen mumbled, his stomach heaving as the pink teacup they were inside twirled. Lamont looked fine, not even a shade of green or boredom on his ever energetic face. His eyes and coat were the only things that were green. 

Even after finding out he was super hero called Jupiter Knight, Lamont's charm and energy never faded a bit, but it was what Stephen liked about him. He was honest and open, rolling with the punches if whatever was thrown at him, regardless if his obsession with blonde females was a bit frightening. 

He had been charming up a storm with Cici all week, and the airhead was more scared of his forwardness than anything. He couldn't blame her, after convincing herself that she had nearly been raped by the pretty boy that had vanished mysteriously, he knew she was a bit timid now. 'If she only knew what really happened. She'd never come out of her house then.' He thought, feeling a pang of pity for her.

The ride came to a close with Stephen's thoughts, and his stomach heaved again when Casey asked to go on again. He looked to Lamont for support, almost pleadingly. 'Should have taken some Dramamine, Casey loves this whirly rides to death. If she hadn't pissed me off so early today I would have thought about that." He thought mildly, then his sickness seemed to lift as Lamont smiled, nodding his fiery head.

"Hey little lady, go easy on your bro, you'll spoil his big surprise." Lamont chirped, only looking to Casey with a sidelong glance. 

"She will? Huh?" Stephen asked, just watching Lamont raise his eyebrows gently. "What surprise?" Casey asked.

"The one we've been planning for you since the beginning….I guess your brother got cold feet about it cause he wasn't sure if you'd like it. This was all planned. Trust me, you're going to get a great surprise if you follow us." Lamont went on, as if he took great pride in speaking.

"Lamont…."Stephen began, but his friend waved him off slightly, then grabbed him by the arm to pull him along through the sea of carnival visitors. Casey followed them with a wide-eyed curious look on her small face, grabbing onto to her brother's pant leg to keep up. 

The trio looked odd, all holding each other as if separation would spell disaster for them, Lamont leading them the entire way without so much as a falter in his steps. He finally stopped at a small train ride, Lamont and Casey releasing their grip on Stephen when he did.

"My surprise is a train ride? That's boring…." Casey whined, but Lamont merely wagged his finger at her with a knowing smile. "Ah, the train only leads to the surprise. Never assume that what you see is what you get, there's usually much more. You'll ride in between us, since being bored tends to put people to sleep. Don't want you falling off when you doze and mangled, your parents would never forgive us." Lamont said simply, putting a frightened look on the child's face. Stephen loved how blunt Lamont could be, even when talking to a child, he treated them like an adult, with very adult words and situations. 'Chew on imagining that for the ride, Casey girl. She'll never call trains boring again.' Stephen thought, a smile forming on his face.

"All aboard for the Bumper Cars, the Fishing Hole, Petting Zoo, and our final stop…..the Candy Castle. All of the candy is absolutely free for children." The engineer announced, tipped his floppy blue hat and then adjusted his trademark red-scarf. Lamont picked up Casey without much protest from her, and gestured gallantly for Stephen to go on first. Stephen nodded and walked up the metal steps, then walked alongside the small train with the two following close behind, searching for a free car to sit on.

He found one at the very end of the train, empty and it looked very much like the end of a train you'd see on train sets, red with a black roof. 'Looks like a pizza restaurant on wheels…..how degrading. I hope no one sees us on this thing, then they'll have something else to gossip about.' He though, sitting himself down gingerly behind a young man wear a maroon suit jacket. His sister was placed behind him, then Lamont, who took hold of Casey gently when she refused to hold onto Stephen's waist.

The train started with a jerk, then slowly made its way along the track through the park. As the train made its first stop, all sitting stiffly on the back of train, Lamont spoke up. ""The final stop is our surprise. Your brother said you had one heck of a sweet tooth. Happy, little lady?" 

Stephen heard his sister squeal with delight a few seconds before she wrapped her tiny arms around his waist, digging her finger into his shirt and nearly piercing his skin. "He told you about that?! And this! Oh Stephen…..Lamont!" she squeaked, hugging him so tight he couldn't breath for a second. He pulled away nodding head to appease, making himself ram into the back of the guy in front of him.

"Ow! Watch it…..hey, meathead, funny meeting you here." Said a hauntingly familiar voice.

Stephen lifted his shock-white head up to see the dark-haired young man known as Gary. "Huh? Gary what are you doing on a kiddie train…with no kids??" Stephen quipped. Gary's mouth grimace, a slight blush forming on his creamy cheeks. "Well, I have my reasons….weren't you the guy that said I should have a little fun and relax? I'm relaxing now by not walking. What's you excuse, meathead?" Gary explained.

Stephen pointed at the tiny hands still gripping his stomach and squeezing. "My littler sister Casey is behind me….me and Lamont were…forced to take her with us. This is the only weekend anyone can take her, so my parents conveniently dropped her in my lap. Business as usual." Stephen grumbled, then yelped as he felt his sister bite his arm.

"Ow! You little larva, you want you precious candy. I'm not what you're supposed to take a chunk out of." Stephen snapped, shoving himself into Gary's back again. He felt Lamont pulled her off, then he leaned back to his spot to glare at the little girl. She looked at him innocently, grinning with her bright, whitened teeth. "Hey, that's dirty fighting. We should leave that to Miss Angela, little lady. Bet she gets more bites in than you do on him." Lamont teased, making Stephen turn bright red. 

"Hey now!" Stephen and Gary said in unison, then looked at each together in surprise. Lamont and Casey started laughing and kept on doing so even as the train started up again. "Nice going, meathead, now I'll have to hear about that nutcase today from your sister too." Gary grumbled, his soft voice ceasing as he turned back to face front. 

"Meathead, that's a good name for him. Dead from the neck up, he's so lame, aren't you meathead?" Casey giggled, Lamont's laughter ending. Stephen could see he regretted his teasing now, with an uneasy look pouring down his features slowly. He cleared his throat and seemed to squeeze Casey a bit, and she noticed. She kept the smug look on her face, batting her small lashes up at him.

"Thanks a heap….some friend." Was all Stephen could say, turning his back on them both the entire way to the Candy Castle.

**_~ The Candy Castle ~_**

Gary had gotten off the train at the Petting Zoo, offering a small wave to the trio before disappearing into the crowds. He still looked depressed, but showed it quietly. As the candy castle came into view, Stephen was shocked he hadn't noticed it earlier. It was at least the side of a three-story house, light pink in color with white roofs and pink flags. Extra large foam gumdrops, lollipops, and candy canes lining the walls, looking and smelling real even at such a distance. Stephen swore he could smell them, the sweet, intoxicating scent of sugar sweets filling his nostrils. 

He heard content tiny sighs coming from his sister, who was sniffing away at the air with a vengeance. Lamont wasn't making a sound and if he was, Stephen had to guess he was sniffing at the candy treats too, mixing with theirs. 'Maybe we can all relax now. Casey will be too busy stuffing her face full of candy to talk….That means very little lip.' Stephen thought, smiling as the train came to a stop. Stephen went on ahead, letting Lamont carry Casey along behind him.

The castle entrance was white and ivory like, decorated with an assortment of candies. It was wide open as well, two women with long, frosty blonde hair wearing pink and yellow dresses standing on either sides with stampers. As Stephen neared one, she gripped his arm, shaking her head. "All adults must be stamped to bring in their child, sir." The blonde on the right said, nodding to the one that held Stephen.

"She's my baby sister….but if it will get her to the candy any faster, stamp away." Stephen said, wrenching his arm out of the woman's grip, then gave her his hand. He felt a cool spark kiss his hand as the stamp met with his skin. He looked to the other woman and saw she was stamping Lamont's hand, but he looked pretty dazed, smiling stupidly at the dressed up female. 'His blonde fetish….He'll probably stand there all day trying to get her phone number.' He thought, walking up behind Lamont to give his hair a tug.

"Ow, hey, what is it?" Lamont grumbled, and angry look on his face. "Charm later, let's appease the little worm you're holding first. You can chat up all the girls you want once Casey starts stuffing her face. Cool your jets till then. Last thing we need is for her to start crying." Stephen whispered harshly in the other youth's ear.

"All right, all right. I can't help it if she likes me. I have a sparkling personality." Lamont said quietly with a bright smile, then walked inside the Candy Castle. He set her down as soon as he reached the first glittering table piled high with sweets, letting the young child dig her greedy little hands into the pile. Her mouth was soon filled with candy of all kinds as her brother and his friend moved off, Stephen grabbing up a lollipop and a few gumballs to keep his mind focused on other things. Lamont was heading back for the entrance, so Stephen expected him to be occupied for the entire stay.

He was a bit startled to see his friend pass him by, grabbing up a few lollipops of his own and shoved a bright red one on his mouth angrily. "What's eating you? That girl already spoken for?" Stephen asked around his own bright blue lollipop.

Lamont shook his head. "No, the doors are locked. I guess they do that to make sure no one takes too much candy. The ad in the paper said this place only lets you eat your fill….then well, you can't take any candy out unless its in your mouth or stomach. Silly rule….free candy is free candy, no limits. Now I'll never get that girl's phone number."

"Just the one girl caught your eye? I thought you loved all blondes." Stephen quipped, and Lamont smirked. "The one I was talking to was a real blonde. I have a sixth sense about women. I know what's real and what's not, especially their hair. I could see that other girl's red roots a mile away." He said, as if he'd spoken true genius.

"Whatever….Hell, I'd rather be with Gary than be in a house full of screaming kids….Maybe the petting zoo isn't the best smelling area, but at least its more interesting than eating candy. This'd be better if it was cupcakes or softer sweets, cakes and pastries….this stuff rots your teeth worse." Stephen stated, rolling his lollipop in his mouth a few times as he tosses the gumballs back on a pile of candy.

"Then why bother rotting them right now….sure, candy rots your teeth, but there are exceptions. Have you ever tries a homemade lollipop or gummi bear. Fudge? Anything that was made fresh, not shipped out from some big company?" Lamont asked, lifting up his untouched lollipops to Stephen's nose, tapping the tip lightly. Stephen's nose scrunched up a bit, but he shook his head the question, considering the concepts.

"I thought they only did that in amusement parks and those colonial villages in America….sweet shops, right?" Stephen said, too embarrassed to say he didn't go out much. He was always at the arcade, never anyplace else. Lamont almost looked skeptical about Stephen's reply, but didn't act on it. "I make it at my house, Stephen….call it a gift. Its actually a lot cheaper to make your own sweets than it is to buy them. Trust me, I may not be a lover of mathematics, but its not to hard to see your wallet is fuller after buying supplies that'll last you months than sweets already made that last less than a week. I've been cooking things since I was 10, I know."

Stephen smiled a bit. "A cook….yeah. You'd know better than me. I can cook too, just probably not that passionately. If I was left alone in a house full of food for a month, I could survive. Not all of us guys are the "nuking or nothing" type. It helps to know how to cook….just in case the woman you marry can't cook….or to be helpful."

"My, we have a sensitive side too….Lady Glamour I suspect? Huh? Huh? When you going to ask her out….and how come I never see her?" Lamont said quietly, raising his eyebrows suggestively. Stephen's cheeks when a slight pink at his friend's words, starting to suck on his lollipop a lot harder and louder suddenly before biting down on it with a loud crunch. "I don't know why she hasn't shown up….last time I saw her was when Raven dropped a ceiling on me….haven't seen her since then. And I've tried to tell her I want to take her on a date…but she never sticks around long enough for me say much of anything to that effect." Stephen said, crunching away at his shattered candy.

"How about we make a deal, pal?" Lamont spouted, finishing off his first lollipop and putting a new yellow one in his mouth," Next time the mystery lady in black shows up, you will ask her out….no matter what, you'll get it through to her that you think she's a goddess, your dream girl. If you don't, well, you owe me a favor. Each time you don't do it, you owe me a favor. Nothing dangerous, just favors, like help and stuff. Do we have a deal?"

Stephen smirked, shaking his head. Lamont was looking so terribly innocent about the deal, so blunt, he couldn't help but let himself smile. 'This is getting addictive. Haven't smiled this much in years.' He thought, rubbing the back of his neck gingerly.

"Ok, deal, as long as these favors aren't nutty or dangerous. I'll give it my best shot, man….yawn…." Stephen spouted, making a light yawn. He saw Lamont made one too, shaking his spiky red head gently to rouse his senses.

"You're tired too?" Stephen asked, yawning again as his friend nodded. They both began to scan the room, noticing that all of the adults and children were yawning heavily and rubbing their eyes. Stephen walked groggily past the, Lamont in tow, to his little sister. She was still eating candy, but her eyes looked very heavy. Her entire mouth was stained with chocolate and taffy of many colors. 

Lamont picked her up without much of a fight, but he looked like he would fall over any second from her weight. "The door…Lamont, give me my sister….you go….ugh, find out what's doing this…." Stephen mumbled out, getting his sister slumped against him along with Lamont's body. Lamont fell in a heap fast asleep as Casey was wrapped in her brother's arms. He shook her poor little form as hard as he could to keep her awake, stumbling groggily for the door. 'Damn Dark Universe….my sister may be a big fat pain in the butt, but she's doesn't deserve to be your dinner. No one does….have to get to the door….its still made of wood….I have to get her out….of here, to get help.' Thought ramming into one of the large doors with a hard thump. It hurt for a few seconds, then the pain left him as he busied himself with kicking the bottom board of the door with his left food. He kept kicking, getting weaker in the head the longer he stayed in one place.

He smiled, at least he thought he was, as the board cracked outward, sunlight blasting across the floor. Stephen set his sister beside it, continuing to shake her to keep her eyes from closing, using his free hand to pull away the rest of the board. When a well sized square hole was created, Stephen shoved his sister outside, faintly hearing a few more people fall onto the ground with loud thumps.

He waited a moment until Casey started to become more active before trying to go outside with her, trying his hardest to fit through the small space. Stephen groaned, his head still swimming with whatever the castle was being afflicted by, as his right shoulder bumped against the door. "Damn, I'm too big to fit....ugh." he mumbled, seeing his sister eyeing him curiously. "What the heck are you doing….no bathroom in there for you?" she snickered.

She let out a tiny scream as she saw her brother's face falter, his body getting jerked backwards in the hole. She gripped tightly onto his arm, futile trying to help him. "What's going on? Stephen!" she screamed, her little fingers only succeeding in scratching him up rather than helping. "You remember Angela's phone number….? Don't you, squirt? Argh!" Stephen let out, kicking back at what was yanking on his leg.

"Yeah, so what? What is in there? Where's Lamont!?" she cried. "That's all I needed to…argh, hear. Call her house collect, I don't care….just call her and tell her Lamont and me are inside the Candy Castle at the amusement park. Tell her D.U., that's it....can you, ow! Do that? Tell me you'll do that! OWWW!!" he yelled, slipping further back inside the castle.

"Yes…I'll do it! What about you and Lamont?" she squealed. "Never mind us, Angie will know what to do….but don't you go getting ideas that I like her. She just knows….the right people for this. Trust your big brother for once….Go, run now! NOW!!" Stephen yelped, suddenly vanishing from his sister's sights. She heard a sickening thud and short yelp a few seconds later, then began to run with tears in her eyes.

**_~ The Furosuto Condo ~_**

Angela was laying on her bed when the phone rang, staring at her framed picture of Stephen, the one that his little sister had sold her three months ago. The kid had been an annoying little beast, but Angela wanted the very cute picture of her Stephen desperately, as Stephen always ran off or covered his face up when she tried to snap a shot of him. The picture was a full body shot of Stephen standing next to his little sister at his last birthday party. He wasn't smiling, Stephen never smiled to Casey or his parents knowledge, they'd told her as much. They did like because she was strong and Stephen's age, someone to keep their depressed and smart mouthed son in line. 'He does need taming….he can be so wild and vicious when he shows his true self, the stallion fighter he is. Hmm….either way….his parents don't need to know I like him either way. Mmm, Mrs. Stephen Furosuto-Tsukikage….mmm, needs work….but so does my precious Snowflake. Mm, some gentle, loving taming. Heh, heh….huh?' she was thinking, then the phone rang.

She stared at it a moment, letting it ring a few times before taking the receiver in her hand. "Hello?" she asked, then her eyes widened as she heard someone crying on the other end, a child crying and whimpering terribly. "Angela? This is….Ca…Ca….Casey. Stephen's sister….sniff….Please, you have to come to the amusement park….to the Candy Castle. Lamont….Stephen, waahhhhhhh!!! Ah hah wahhhhh!" she was crying loudly and uncontrollably, blubbering all the way.

"Hey, slow down! Uh, please don't cry, I can't understand you. What about the amusement park and those two? Where is my Snowflake, Casey?" Angela asked harshly. The sniffling went on, but not as loud. "Stephen said you knew people who could help him. Everyone just fell asleep in the Candy Castle. Stephen got me out, but then he got yanked back in, I think whoever grabbed him was beating him up. It sounded like an action movie or something….sniffle….he said to tell you D.U. before he got taken. Can you help now? Please, Lamont and Stephen are still inside, please!" the child cried.

Angela froze a moment as she heard the little girl say D.U., making her blood run cold with anger at the thought of the Dark Universe having taken her Snowflake from her. "Angela?" the child asked.

"Stay where you are, Casey. I'll get help. Just stay put." Angela said quickly, slamming down the phone, then lifting it up again, quickly dialing out a number. She got the tone for a minute before a husky voice answered. "Sacred Phoenix Dojo, Ray Hitodama speaking."

"Hey Ray, D.U. business. Quit playing receptionist and meet me at the local amusement park, the Candy Castle is where we have to go."

"What have they done now? Hostages?" Ray asked. "Worse….they have Stephen, Lamont too. Some kind of sleep inducing beast….according to a source. Quit asking stupid questions, brute, and get your transformed butt to the Candy Castle." She replied, slamming the phone down swiftly before running out of her room.

**_~ Candy Castle ~_**

Lady Mercury made her transformation in the bushed beside the castle, thought she was less subtle in her entrance and Mars Knight, who had arrived before her and was skulking behind a tree. He yanked her back with him as people passed by, getting a knee in the gut. "Hey….if we're seen, we might cause a panic or something. Then the people inside might be killed or kidnapped to avoid interference. We just go in quietly through that window up there. It's not high up and its made out of colored cellophane, I tested it with a couple pebbles. Our swords can easily slice it so we can get the drop on whatever's in there. Our friend's lives depend on us being subtle…up until whatever Dark Universe creep rears its ugly head." Ray snapped, but didn't strike at Angela. She just sniffed at him like a spoiled child, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Fine….good thing you did this early instead of wasting our time now. Can we do this already?! My Snowflake could be dying while you flap your gums. Let's go already!" Mercury said venomously. Mars shook his head, then stuck his armored body out partially from behind the tree. He was still a moment, then turned towards mercury, gesturing to her with his hand to follow him out. She grudgingly did so, then watching him walk up to another tree, scaling it easily up to the colorful window that seemed to bend inward like jelly. 

Mercury followed Mars up the tree, nodding to him as he slowly stuck his blade into the plastic window, cutting around the edges. Mercury held onto he sticky "glass" and pulled it out. Both peered inside, seeing nothing but shadows for the longest time. Then they saw something, and it made Mercury growl angrily in her throat. 

It was the slim form of Lady Glamour in her sexy black dress and armored boots creeping within the place, walking half crouched past tables covered with candy. Mercury's last nerves snapped as Mars squatted on his armored heels and stared at seemingly empty room, to think she suspected. She climbed inside before he could stop her, sick to death of waiting for Glamour to steal her opportunity to save Stephen. 'If she's even on our side….this could all be a ruse to lure Stephen in for the kill. For all we know she's already in bed with the Dark Universe already.' She thought, ignoring the whispered protests of Mars as he followed her inside.

"This is not the time….Cork it, Mars or she'll spot us." She hissed back at him, keeping her eyes trained on the black clad female who was already well ahead of them. She had stopped by a wall, or what Mercury took for one. Mercury sucked her breath in as a dim light poured out of the wall as Glamour pushed lightly on it. 'A door….now how would she know where the people are….she's hiding something, I'm sure of it.' Mercury thought, continuing to sneak after the woman. Glamour vanished swiftly through the door, the end of her dress the last part to be seen before the door closed soundlessly.

Mercury quickened her pace, blade drawn and her eyes narrowed for the slightest movement, reaching the spot where Glamour disappeared in mere moments. Mars came up beside her as she leaned her ear on the door, shaking her head slightly. "She's fast, I don't hear footsteps….let's get going before she beats us to the punch. She might not be on the up and up, Mars." She said quietly.

"Not that its any of my business, but I think Glamour might be all right, and not cause of her dress. She has saved our hash more than once….Personally, I think you're jealous of her and how Stephen feels about her." Mars whispered, pushing his way gently through the door. What he could see of Mercury's face was beet-red with anger. He didn't like making her mad, he wanted to make her happy really, but with her madly in love with Stephen, a guy that didn't love her at all, made it a bit hard not to try for a reality check with her. He wanted so much to date Angela, but he was dirt to her and Stephen was her knight in shining armor, literally.

'And I'll always be her frog….never her prince. Why is she so stubborn…..?' he thought, surveying the dimly lit hall of stone he'd stepped into. Mercury let him know she was unimpressed by the place after letting out a haughty grunt. Mars shrugged and went on with her down the hall, keeping his eyes and ears open as much as he could manage to listen for signs of foul play. He heard nothing except his own and Mercury's footsteps dully sounding on the raunchy carpeted floor. After a few more minutes of walking, Mars saw a small wooden door up ahead, a brighter light and voices wafting from behind it. It sounded a lot like arguing. 

The knights quickened their paces as the arguing grew louder. 'Definitely a man and a woman....Glamour?' Mars thought mildly, charging at the door at full speed the second he heard something crash. Mars knocked the door inward, Mercury flying past him as he steadied himself to see what was going on.

Glamour had barely looked up the fight she was in with a young man with cerulean blue hair. The young man's body was alive with dark energy, the same energy Mars had seen the Dark Universe princess Raven shoot at Glamour months before. He didn't see Raven anywhere, but to know she had tainted another person with her power was enough to know she'd been there.

The young man had stopped fighting, floating out of Glamour's striking range to avoid her blade. He looked so evil and innocent at the same time, Mars couldn't help but feel sorry for what he would have to do to him to find his friends. "Ah, you've come for the pretty ones my mistress wants so terribly, have you not? The shock-haired angel and the fiery red-head….Their energy is so delicious for her. She had a few tastes of their life….being close to them. I can just see her rewarding me handsomely for providing her with real flavor. Hah, I dare you to take me on….you can't win….I am a very special Dark Warrior! I am Dream Weaver, master of the astral plane!" the youth cackled, his body distorting suddenly. Mars took a step back as the young man started to shift in form, hair ripping through his clothes, seemingly endless strands of cerulean fur, his mouth becoming angular and jutting out. When it stopped, all Mars saw was something that looked like a werewolf with thick and spiky blue fur, drool dripping down his sharp fangs, and some strange body armor on his chest. The jeans the young man had been wearing were all that remained of his real clothes, now shorts due to the youth's rapid growth spurts.

Dream Weaver growled at them, landing nimbly before them, right beside a pair of curtains Mars had not noticed earlier. The werewolf looked terribly smug about being outnumbered, then reach up to the curtains, tearing them away as if they were nothing.

Mars felt his heart jump straight up his throat when he saw what they had been hiding, the bodies seemingly untouched, but were being assault with dark energy.

"Oh my God, S….let those young men go! They have nothing to do with this!" Mercury screamed, positioning her blade before her. "Yeah, come and fight us like the bastard you are, dog-face! Pick on someone who can defend themselves." Mars countered.

Dream Weaver laughed and shook his head, his eyes flashing moments before Stephen and Lamont's bodies were assaulted once more by dark energy. Mercury couldn't take it anymore and let out a feral scream, charging at the monster full speed. Dream Weaver didn't move, he remained in place grinning like a madman.

Mercury flew at him, her blade aimed for what should have been his heart. She let out a startled yelp as she felt something grab her leg and yank her backwards, slamming her onto the floor. Mercury looked up with rage at none other than Lady Glamour, who still held onto her ankle, with her own silver blade aimed at Mercury's heart. "You can't hurt him….not like this." She said simply, getting a ferocious growl from Mercury.

"I knew it, you're in on this whole thing. You're a Dark Universe whore! Ow!" Mercury yelled, yelping in pain as Glamour squeezed hard on her ankle. Mars came up beside them, ready to defend Mercury when he realized something. Dream Weaver was still near where Stephen and Lamont were suspended, still grinning, but he hadn't moved a breath from where he stood.

"Why isn't that thing moving?" He said, asking himself more than anyone else. He was shocked when Glamour answered him. "He is baiting you….he is an astral based monster that has taken possession of a human's body. Only Moon Knight can restore him to his humanity, but he is not present at the moment. You can only destroy him if you bring him out of the astral plane or those two will be destroyed. A battle on the astral plane will destroy all the minds of those that Dream Weaver has affected. You'd have to have good control over your own mind to combat with him….and to release his victims. Then he will be trapped here, and he can be fought here without risking his victim's lives."

Mercury stared up at her, ever hatefully. "Then why did you stop me for gutting him now?!" she spat. Glamour looked at Mars instead, which made Mercury angrier. "I stopped Lady Mercury as anyone that touches this creature will be affected and sent into the astral plane….helpless if they do not have control over their own minds. I have more control with my mind than both of you. I am the one who must go and save your friends, so when I awaken, if I do, you can destroy him. This might, I pray, give you long enough to contact Moon Knight to cure this creature once I do my part."

Mars looked at Dream Weaver, then at Mercury, and back to Glamour, looking a bit skeptical. "What happens if you can't get him out of there?" he asked.

"I will die….as will they. Princess Raven never intended this to be as simple as fighting blades and fists….The monsters only get more troublesome with that sultry succubus. You just contact Moon Knight once I go in. From then on….its all up to me, and I don't give up so easily. This thing will not win." She said frankly, swiftly putting her blade on her side before leaping over Mercury's head. Mercury managed to get up a only seconds before Glamour collided with Dream Weaver's protected form, a dark mist slipping out of his mouth that shot down Glamour's throat. A slight gasp erupted from her, then the woman in black fell backwards in a heap. Dream Weaver stood triumphantly as he used his dark energy to lift Glamour up above his head to drain. "Let's see who has the stronger mind, human….as if I had to ask. Ah ahaha haha haaaaaaaaaa!!" he cackled, the two knights backing up with blades drawn, hoping silently that Glamour could do all she said.

**_~ Astral Plane ~_**

Glamour found herself standing in what she thought were ancient ruins, but then she reminded herself quietly that the astral plane normally reflects what the dreamer feels, their silent thoughts and desires. She prayed nothing further would come of that, she was here to rescue the young men Raven had taken an obsessive liking to. 'So where is the top dog anyway. He knows what I am up to….he's probably waiting to sucker me into a mind trap….or use those young men as shields against me. All I have to do is cut him and those guys and they'll awaken….wish it was as easy as it sounded. Weaver won't be up for a trim.' She thought, entering the ruins quietly. She was content her powers were activated, but she didn't know why it had happened. Moon Knight was no where around and wasn't even in danger. She only transformed when he was in danger, she knew that from her dream, as short-lived as it had been. It beat her other dreams, by a lifetime it beat them.

'At least I have my blade like this. I'd never beat this thing with a nail file or my shoes, we'd all be dead meat. Come on, where are you Dream Weaver! I know you can hear me….no thoughts are hidden here!' she silently screamed, drawing her blade.

"Rah! Take this!" a loud, deep growl bellowed behind her. She leapt out of the way as the rush of air touch her backside, then whirled about to see the form of Dream Weaver land hard where she'd been standing, sending chunks of debris flying everywhere. He was standing in a crater now, drooling and growling at her mockingly. She stood her ground as she spoke. "Where are the people, you beast!? I want to see them now, coward!" she said, her voice stiff and without soul. 

Dream Weaver just laughed heartily, slashing his claws about in the air, almost as if he were showing off. As she watched, she saw the white-haired young man and the redhead appear on a staircase that was near crumbling. The two of them were tied up and awake here, just lying there limply on the stairs, but their eyes were on Glamour. "Oh, the delicious ones, right? They are the ones you really want, Raven does. You can't beat me, but I'm a fair warrior. If I kill you, they are Raven's. If you manage to defeat me, well, let's just see who gets to them first. Bring it on, bitch!" he howled rushing at her again

Glamour leapt out of the way again, but felt his fist connect with her stomach, knocking her away from the young men flat on her back. She got up as fast as she could to see the werewolf was rushing towards the two shocked young men, the one with white hair shouting out to her. She knew she could use her own powers in this place, she would risk everyone's lives, including her own by letting anything powerful go off in her mind.

Glamour made a sprint for the werewolf, grabbing up a piece of stone from the ground as she went along and hurled it at Dream Weaver. It connected with the back of his head, knocking him down on his front and sent him sliding across the stone floor. He stopped moving under a crumbling archway.

Glamour wasted no time in propelling herself in the air with her blade over her head. She slammed down on the archway as many times as she could coming down, making it come crashing down atop Dream Weaver's fallen form. Glamour landed simply atop the rubble, but it was a brief moment. She ran for the young men seconds later, cutting their bindings away. The one with the white hair was looking at her adoringly, almost as if he wanted to know her. He was looking at her face only, not the rest of her, which puzzled her. 'Poor guy….he deserves better. If he only knew what I am, how my destiny could cost him his life.' She thought, not even smiling at him. The red-head looked a little flustered, but his was trained behind her at the rumble that had collapsed onto Dream Weaver. "Thanks for helping us, ma'am, but how do we get out of here. We were running all over this place before Shaggy hunted us down. We couldn't even find the other people." He said, his voice charmed and frightened.

The other one nodded, cocking his angelic head to the side. "Yeah….we were just trying to find a way out, then he came along and started draining us, that's what it felt like. Like he was sucking out of blood through his hands. We fought him, but he tied us up after that….do you know the way out, miss?" the white-haired youth said, almost dreamily.

"A simple application of pain, a cut….but I have to be quick….he can harm your true bodies out there as well as mine, and the Galaxy Knights. You have to get to safety before that. Forgive me for this, but it's the only way out for any of us. Give me your hands." She said. The red-head didn't look terribly thrilled about it, but the white-haired young man put his hands out immediately. His face was solemn, but she could see a slight blush on his cheekbones. "Its worth the pain Lamont. We'll be in the way if we're stuck in here. I believe her….if she says it will get us out, it is worth doing." He said lightly, the smile lost from his pale face.

Glamour wasted no time in cutting lightly and swiftly across his palms as he finished, the dream blood flowing for a few moments before the he vanished from sight. The red-head still looked pensive, and only stuck out one hand. She shrugged and cut along one of his fingers, to soften the pain for him. He vanished a few moments later.

As she prepared to slice her own hand, she heard an ear-shattering howl. "Dream Weaver…." She spat, whirling around to meet head on with the blue monster. "Not this time, ugly!" she added, flipping herself over the enraged beast before it could sink its claws into her and rammed her sword through its back, shooting it straight out where the thing's heart was. Then she felt him slash her, the pain brief as the dream world began to fade.

**_~ Candy Castle ~_**

Glamour felt a mild sensation in her back, warm and cold at the same time. As her vision cleared she found herself in Moon Knight's arms, and she was bleeding all over him. "Moon Knight?" she asked, feeling a twinge in her heart as he was staring at her hard. "Its all right….Mars and Mercury weakened him before he could get to you. Thank you so much, you did it Lady Glamour, you got Dream Weaver into reality." He coaxed, holding her very close to his body.

"That's good, now please stand me up….you're getting all bloody. And, sorry, but one of your armored fingers is jabbing my wound." She said, and she felt his body tense. He obeyed her and leaned her against a nearby wall. "Ok….only one thing left to do now. I only wanted to be sure you were all right before I did anything," he said quietly, taking out his sword and raised it up high, which seemed to come alive with light," **_Celestial Healing Light_**!"

His sword glowed a gentle white now and released out swirls of white petals out from the soft glow. The shimmering white petals encased the body of Dream Weaver elegantly, the light from them pouring into his furry body until all the knights could see was light. It faded after a while to reveal the young man Mars and Mercury had seen before, his bright blue hair cradling his bruised face, his torn jeans hugging his body with all their might. He stirred a bit, but didn't wake up. Mercury simply picked him up in her arms and walked out of the room. Mars and Jupiter were doing nothing but watch Moon Knight and Glamour until they all heard shouting.

It was coming from behind a door off to the right of where the young men had been held by the dark energy, the door Glamour had suspected was housing the rest of the Dark Universe's victims. She watched the two knights rush to the door and start smashing at the knob to free the people when a sudden headache hit her, making her grip her head in pain. 

Moon Knight was too busy watching Mars and Jupiter releasing a bunch of people out of the side room. He'd been in there briefly, before Dream Waver had pushed him into the dream world, or astral plane as the creature had put it. He'd found Lamont simply by thinking about him, but transforming and fighting in there was impossible. He had been overjoyed to see Glamour had come to his rescue, but he saw in her eyes that she didn't recognize him as Moon Knight, and perhaps for now it was best that way. He also felt deeply relieved that his wounds never lasted as long as they should normally, the cuts she'd given him and Lamont already fading out of existence once he'd woken up. Mercury and Mars got them both down as Dream Weaver's form started to have spasms, giving them just enough time to transform.

"Oh….I forgot about Glamour….she's still hurt!' he thought suddenly, turning back to where he'd set her. 

"Gone….again." he blubbered out, staring in shock at the stain of Glamour's blood upon the gray wall, a slight trail of it leading out the door. Moon Knight sighed, knowing he'd have other chances to see her. He was a full time Galaxy Knight, there was no way to avoid the woman that had stolen his heart.

"Gone and received, Moon. You remember the deal, you don't tell her, so you owe me a favor." Jupiter snickered in his ear, but Moon knight just shrugged. "You're my friend, Jupiter….not my enemy. A favor to a friend isn't something to snicker about. Let's just get these people out of here and go home….Uh, Mercury…oh damn, I have to catch up with her." He said, getting out of the room quickly without even glancing at Jupiter.

He found Mercury had laid the young cerulean-haired man out atop a candy pile, leaning against it as if she was expecting Moon Knight to follow. "Yes, dream? Come to thank me?" she purred, blowing him a kiss. He grimaced and shook his head furiously. "No….my sister. Where is my sister?" he asked icily.

"Oh, the brat….I told her to stay where she was. I guess it was at a payphone….Hey! What are you doing?" Mercury said sharply as Moon Knight transformed back into Stephen, who was sprinting past her. "Tell Lamont we had a wonderful time and I'll see him in class. I have to get Casey home or we're both dead meat." He said quickly, climbing up onto one of the tables to get out the cut out window. He was gone in an instant, his footsteps fading into the distance as Mercury stood there, a strange smirk on her face. "Shy….I'll fix that….soon. You just wait, lover boy." She chuckled, taking out her sword as she approached the doors of the castle entrance, smashing her blade through it repeatedly.

**_~ Telephone Station #5 ~_**

Casey sat on the bench near the telephones, her little eyes sore and red from crying so much. She'd never liked her older brother for the fact that he was older and acted pretty much like a zombie to the family. He acted as if getting a big allowance, and spoiled rotten with presents wasn't great. She loved all the stuff Mom and dad gave her, even if they weren't around a whole lot. Stephen was quieter than she was, unless their parents challenged him on his behavior, then he had a rotten temper. It was if noise drove him crazy and teasing made him enraged. He seemed to take it better with schoolmates than his own family, male schoolmates.

The moment she could walk, Stephen had stopped being a sweet big brother, and had been nothing at all but the quiet guy who was never home since their parents were never home. He had stopped speaking to the family unless they spoke to him loudly. Her brother, even for the brief times he was home, daydreamed constantly, drifting off for hours and became dead to the world. It was like he slept with his eyes open. She'd thought he was sick at first, but their parents informed her that he was just depressed because he was getting older and more was expected of him.

Teasing him seemed like the best way to get a rise out of her older brother so he'd stop being so boring. She actually had fun bothering him and invading his space. He looked like a large child himself with his baby face, and when he got mad, he looked like a child about to throw a temper tantrum. To see him react to something meant to her that he was alive and there for her, but she'd never tell him that. 'I just hope he's ok so I can never tell him I was never going to tell him.' She thought, sniffling again.

"Casey! Caseeeeyyy!? Where are you, you little larva? Come on, this is not funny! Answer me, Casey!" she heard faintly, growing louder as it went on. It sounded just like Stephen, like her annoying, moody big brother. Exactly like him.

"Casey! Thank God!" she heard vibrate above her as a pair of arms suddenly whisked her off the bench and pressed her against a solid, warm shape. She looked up in fright to see her older brother, a little bruised around the arms, but still her brother looking down at her, holding her in his arms with a smile on his face. 'Him? Smiling? They must have hit him hard….' She thought, giving in and smiling back as she hugged her brother's neck. He choked and grumbled at her, making Casey sigh. 'Short lived emotions….what a zombie boy.' She thought, but kept hugging.

"I want to go home, Stephen….I've had enough fun for one day." She spouted, smacking his head hard with her little hand. He scowled at her, the smile long gone, as if it had never existed. "Fine, but I'm never taking you to any castles made out of candy ever again. Its hazardous to take you anywhere, you little beast….but…." he said, his voice softening slightly as he looked away, in the direction of the phones. 

"What? You never stop yelling once you've started, big bother." She teased, but he didn't seem to notice. "I may be a bother to you, but so are you, you brat. However, you did what I told you to do for once and Angie got help to Lamont and me. You did good, squirt. For once, you did very good, might have saved a lot of lives, I think….but….you can't tell anyone or those things that tried to kill me and all those people will come and get you. They'll hunt you down and kill us all, understand?" he said swiftly, suddenly shifting his eyes back to her.

"Yeah, I understand. Dying is a bad thing….I won't tell….if you buy me an ice cream cone and a dolly." She spouted, a triumphant grin on her face. "Fine." he said, startling her," Now can we go?"

She nodded dumbly and felt him start to walk again. He went to the first vender he found and bought Casey a double scoop fudge ripple cone and handed it to her. He bought her a doll from one of the gift shops of her choice before he took her out of the park area, his face unreadable. This was the first time Stephen had ever given in so quickly and coldly to blackmail, his eyes just glossy orbs in his head that only moved when he turned down the sidewalks and streets.

She shrugged it off and licked her cone again, hugging her doll tightly. 'Least this day wasn't a total loss, but Stephen's being major weird. What on Earth happened to him?' she wondered, but her questions went unanswered as her brother led them home, never speaking a word to her the entire way.


	11. Ch 11CookOff Kamikaze

Chapter 11 **__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the** "Sailor Moon" **series. This goes along the lines of the original series, but an alternate dimension. Trust me, eventually, my knight will meet the scouts. Patience is a virtue, so awaiting that moment won't be so bad. REVIEW!!

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Chapter 11

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Cook-Off Kamikaze

**_~ Tsukikage Household ~_**

Cyrus was lounging on Stephen's stomach while the young teen was sprawled across his bed, half-asleep. Cyrus looked up at the youth occasionally to see if his eyes were open, but to no avail. Stephen only slept in his room, no matter what time of the day it was. He had no interest in going outside since the incident with his little sister Casey at the Candy Castle, and had taken it out on Cyrus by kicking the cat out of the house and locking al the doors and windows for a few days. 

Cyrus had been eating out of garbage cans and stealing scraps from the arcade until he found Stephen sitting in his window one blessed knight, not really paying attention, so Cyrus stole his way back in. It wasn't hard at all, Stephen was off in another world once again, but different this time. It started to rain soon after Cyrus had made it back inside, but Stephen stayed in the window and got wet for hours before he actually came back in. He fell ill the next day after sleeping in wet clothes with the window open. Stephen had been so out of it for those few days, he'd even forgotten to lock his door, which was fortunate for his health since his mother barged in to make him go to school only to discover him sick as a dog.

That had been a over a week ago and Stephen was much better now, though he'd never explained to anyone why he wrecked his health and had shut out almost everything in life out. Cyrus was still waiting for the young teenager to open his eyes so he could grill him on those factors. Cyrus was tired of waiting, even cats knew when enough was enough.

Cyrus stood up and stretched, jumping with a start as Stephen mumbled something, stirring rather violently. His eyes snapped open a few seconds later, wide and….frightened? Stephen never looked like that, not since Cyrus had known him. The only emotions he had were anger, sadness, and slight joy, not fear.

"Stephen?" he asked, licking one paw gently as the teenager sat up slowly to give Cyrus time to move to his lap. "Dream….same dream." He mumbled, almost inaudible, but not to a cat. Cyrus perked a bit at the boy's statement, cocking his velvety head to the side. "What dream? You haven't spoken a word in over a week, kid." Cyrus spouted.

"I had my reasons, other than it hurting to talk with a sore throat and the like. Ever since Casey….nearly got involved in this whole mess you call the Galaxy Knights' quest….I started having dreams….well, more like a dream to nightmares." Stephen said simply, running a pale hand through his shock white hair.

"Mind telling me about it? Or is this a human thing I wouldn't be able to understand?" Cyrus replied, stretching his lean body again. Stephen gave him one of his best irritated glares, shoving the cat off the bed. "Its not a human thing….I don't know what it is….all I know it that some guy in black murders me in a cave at the end….everything else is pretty vague. Swords clash after I'm starting to have a nice normal dream, then blood, then I see these purple eyes hovering over me, attached to a tall man all in black. He rams a sword into me and then, I wake up. It wasn't so bad the first time, then it started happening whenever I went to sleep, even during naps. When I got sick…I had no choice. What do you make of it?"

Cyrus stood up on all fours indignantly. "Oh, now you want my advice. My opinion didn't matter when I tried to assure you that your sister wasn't going to find out who you really are, or when I said you shouldn't trust Glamour so soon, and you wound up in the hospital for not listening. And for not giving Angela a chance, and…." Cyrus began, which earned him a kick in the face from Stephen's bare foot. "All right! All right! Quit riding on me for minor things and tell me what you think!" Stephen growled.

Cyrus righted himself and frowned. "Fine….Perhaps your remembering yourself in the past….If you were reborn as Stephen Tsukikage now, you had to have been someone else way back during the Silver Millenium. It was a time of great peace and prosperity between all planets, until the Dark Universe destroyed it all. We all died during it and were reborn in this day and age. It's probably that, you remembering your death."

"He called me Moon Knight, real weird voice, very throaty and smooth, like devilish charm. You're probably right….I hope you are anyway. I do not want to be predicting the future this far into your mission." Stephen said hollowly, rubbing his chin.

"I doubt you've become psychic, let's not get too unrealistic here, and for your information, this is _our _quest, not mine alone. I can't fight like this. What would I do, scratch their eyes out and hope they bleed to death? Hah, I'd be Chinese food in no time flat."

"Now there's a thought….you'd be more useful feeding people than you are to the group. Words of wisdom seldom help when something is kicking our butts so far it's next year. Sure our weapons and a few mystical attacks have been getting us along so far, but the monsters will only get harder and deadlier. Raven isn't a sissy like Viper was. She's unpredictable. At least Viper stuck to certain groups habitually. Raven goes to a place once and vanishes. We've lost her twice before the carnival thing, she killed over a dozen people in each area." Stephen replied, shaking his head lightly.

"You're catching on at least. With the police calling it grand scale kidnapping, I'd hate to be the one to tell them those missing people are already dead. Yes, Raven is far more slippery and random than Viper was….which makes her far more deadly. We've only seen her one time and she's caused more damage than her predecessor. She nearly killed both you and Glamour, as unreliable as I still think she is, and all those people lost their lives to her….We were fortunate to have found the last batch of victims before they'd been consumed. Did you ever find out how that young man she possessed is doing?" the cat asked.

"Cyrus, I haven't been out of the house in a week, do you think I care how he's doing when he's already been saved. There are other people at stake you know….go check it out yourself since you're unable to fight. You had a few days to seek the guy out, as I recall. You're so lazy, Cyrus." Stephen scolded his tone mocking and amused for once. 

The teen picked Cyrus up carefully, swatting at his head in the most cynical manner. 'Stephen is such an odd young man, one minute he's ready to blow, the next he's acting like a fool. This is the world's hope….dear lord, give me strength.' Cyrus thought, swiping his paw at Stephen's hand, getting toyed with against the young man's fingers. "Yeah right, you're the lazy one. You tried to get out of this super hero biz by getting sick. You could have died, you moronic human. That was pneumonia, you know. What were you thinking?" Cyrus scolded.

Stephen looked indifferent, as always. "I wasn't trying to get sick….I just drifted off….I lose track of time when I do that. You have only know me for a few months, you don't know all my bad habits. I was just thinking hard." Stephen replied in a devil may care tone.

"About Glamour again? She's going to be the death of you." Cyrus mumbled, wishing a few moments later that he had thought it instead. Stephen threw him off the bed for a drop kick, which hurt the both of them in the effort. Stephen was holding onto his throbbing foot, sprawled back on the bed with his eyes clenched tightly and Cyrus had land on all fours on the floor, with only a bruised rear end to scar him.

"We have to work on our communication here. You get all riled when she's mentioned in a negative way. You might as well consider factor that she might not be on the side of right. She could be a wild card in this for herself, not you. She could have ulterior motives compared to us. You have to at least put that in as a possibility. I don't recall her being a knight at all or anything else from the past either." Cyrus said indignantly, baring his little fangs.

Stephen never lost the cross look on his face. "You can't even remember what the prince and princess looked like or what the other knights look like until you _feel _something coming from them. You couldn't be able to find your own ass with both hands and a road map. You may know the real deal with our powers, but you can't remember how many are against us or what any of them or our allies looks like. Don't knock her until you grow those memories back in that small brain of yours," Stephen said simply, pulling off his shirt and tossing it at his light switch," I'm tired again….I do have school to return to tomorrow….with a ton of make-up homework to do as well. Good night, Cyrus. At least let my last day off be pleasant."

Cyrus just sat down on the carpeted floor in the darkness for a few minutes, waiting for the gentle breaths of the young man to reach his keen ears. Once he hard them, he pounced up to the bed and nestled himself atop the covers, right beside Stephen's blanketed legs. 'We're all afraid for this world, Stephen. Just don't let your guard down for Glamour just because she seems to be our ally. You have to depend on yourself sometimes.' Cyrus thought, then drifted peacefully to sleep.

**_~ Haitsuchi's Arcade Heaven ~_**

"So….how was your day, Stephen? Eventful?" Gary asked in a tired manner, more annoyed than anything. Stephen shrugged, putting away another assignment into his bag. "Well, everyone, thanks to my stupid mother, thought I got sick on purpose. She'll say anything to make it seem like its me going through a tough time in my life, not her. I just drifted off, that's it. Homework was monumental, so it was no sweat to finish off during lunchtime. I wasn't really hungry anyway. Why? Did you think I did it to hurt myself or something?" Stephen asked, his eyes showing nothing more than indifference.

Gary shrugged and made a light yawn. "I heard you were having problems. I….well, me and Alan came by your house a few days ago, to see how you were doing. Our parents were worried about you since you and Alan are such buddies. You were spouting all sorts of weird stuff in your sleep when we came in….real nasty things."

Stephen flinched a bit, wondering what was considered nasty to Alan and Gary. "I did? Well, I don't remember….I was out of it. If it was anything insulting, I'm sorry. I was sick." Stephen said lightly, finishing off the last bit of his soda.

"You were swearing up a storm in your sleep, not us. It was just disturbing is all, we thought you were a sailor for a second. Even my own father doesn't swear that much in front of us, or make death threats. Sounded like you were in one hell of a nightmare." Gary commented, his tone still upset. Stephen shrugged and said," Must have….been having bad dreams for the past week. I'm a big boy, Gary, I can take care of myself, especially in my mind. Sorry if my dirty dream mouth had to be heard. I must have been thinking about Angie again. She could give the devil himself nightmares." Stephen knew his comment about handling his dreams was a big, fat lie, but Gary didn't know that. Stephen couldn't really tell if Gary had bought it or not, the dark sunglasses on the slender young man hiding his eyes from Stephen's view.

"Speaking of which, you owe me big time for this whole week. Angela was hitting on me again, cause she knew Alan would fill you in on her behavior. That weirdo was groping and flirting like nobody's business," Gary said wryly, making a light snorting sound,"….No, I can't call it flirting. She threatened to break my nose if I didn't pay attention to her. Lucky me, I ducked and she decked some poor guy asking for change. She's been banned from the arcade again, for month this time, but that won't stop her. I am willing to bet that orchid lunatic would break down the door just to see you or make you jealous. When are you going to get through to her and tell her to lay off? She's no good for you."

Stephen understood his friend's feelings on the matter, but he was shocked as to how it was said. It was as if his friend was angry Angela was in love with him, like he wished his mother and father would be, the way he expected them to act when he was being harassed. "Don't be such a Dad, you're too young for that. I try, I do, I have been patient, nice, cruel, sarcastic, nasty….but nothing works. Eventually I might start screaming at her or yell at her in school, just so everyone can see me dump her. Hell, we're not even dating, there's nothing to dump. She's the only one that thinks we are an item. We're just friends and that's all I can tolerate, but even that is wearing thin with me. She's so damn pushy and brutal, not to mention ill mannered. It seems like all the nuts fall in love with me." He let out, sighing deeply.

"All the nuts? There's more than one fruitcake after you?" Gary spat out. "Yeah….its not like I encourage anyone. No nice, simple, caring girls ever speak to me….either their too shy or I haven't met them yet. I get all the crazies." 

"That's bull." Gary said, his mouth opening slightly after he said it, realizing he'd spoken aloud. Stephen just gawked at him, his nose giving off a twitch. "Bull? Where do you get off saying that?" Stephen rasped out.

Gary looked over at him indignantly, his mouth the only indication that he was actually angry. "Its not hard to see….Alan told me plenty about how ditzy you are in school, not stupid ditzy, just oblivious. I've seen it too, when you're in the arcade playing games and even when you're eating. Every girl that walks in here and some that are too shy so they look through the window at you. They are practically drooling over the sight of you and you never even notice. Alan said you even turned heads when you visited his dorm room in college to give him a birthday present. Girls way older than you were fawning all over you," Gary sped out, " You're a major meathead not to notice all those nice girls doing that and only notice the lunatics that practically get in your face for reasons other than a relationship. It a wonder you never notice all these girls, they're no more than 10 feet away and you never notice them all fawning over you like some kind of god. I don't get you, man." 

Stephen snorted at the accusations, but it was short lived. "What girls? I look, I never see them." He lied. He knew he had to lie because he never really looked anywhere except at what he was doing or eating, or paying close attention to things that could do him harm or annoyance. Maybe there were girls staring, and Gary and Alan had both noticed it, even if he hadn't. Then a question hit him, something to get Gary to drop the subject for a while. "Why are you two staring at me anyway? And how do you possible see them staring at me eating or playing? When I'm doing those things, you're supposed to be in class. You playing hookie or something?" 

Gary's anger faded at that, and he started to bite his lip. "I….well….get off of my last class sometimes early and I come to the arcade when you're eating. Alan….told me about the video game stuff." He said, a bit too quickly.

"Oh, you just said you saw me getting stared at while I was playing. You said Alan saw it too, meaning you both have been spying on me. Or maybe you watch the tapes to make sure no one has tampered with the games and saw it? Which I call spying…so which is it? Huh?" Stephen asked, pushing harder for an answer with narrow blue eyes.

Gary seemed to freeze in place, barely breathing at the questions. "Well, answer me, Gary. We are friends, so you better fess up with the truth this time. Which is it?" Stephen pressed. Gary was still silent, his head only moving slightly to look away to his left. Stephen started to get out of his chair as the silence dragged on, ready to grab his friend by the shoulders and shake the truth out.

"STEPHEN!"

Stephen stopped in the middle of his rising as Lamont burst into the room, looking frantic and with beads of sweat all over his face and stained across his chest.

"I'm in the middle of something, what is it?" Stephen asked, trying to sound polite.

Lamont panted for a few minutes after the question, leaning both palms in his knees as he bent over to catch his breath. "F…..f….f….f….." he tried, but his ragged breaths kept cutting the rest of the word off.

Stephen got in a full standing stance and looked thoughtfully at the young redhead, forgetting for a moment about Gary. He didn't look injured or bruised, so it couldn't be the dark Universe he was rushing in about….unless he had seen them and they had not seen him. Then again, knowing Lamont, it could be about Cici or some other blonde that 'captured' his heart.

"Deep breaths, Lamont. You're going to swallow your tongue." Gary piped up suddenly and Stephen moved out of his train of thought to notice that Gary was beside Lamont, trying to fan him with one of Stephen's books. Lamont obeyed, still hunched over panting for a few more minutes. He righted himself after that, smiling softly at the floor, his eyes trying to focus on Stephen. "Favor…..time." he said finally.

Stephen shook his head, cracking a smile, not because the reason for barging in was so simple, but in secret relief that he didn't have to go out and save the world. "Fine, we can talk about it over some burgers….Gary and I were just ending our tutoring session. You just go order them from Alan, see you in a bit." Stephen said quietly, gesturing with the back of his hand for Lamont to go. Lamont nodded with his brightest smile, his green eyes almost alive with electricity, then bolted back out the door, leaving it wide open.

"If we promise not to discuss my life….at least until I see if what you say is actually true or just to tease me. Can you live with that?" Stephen asked quietly, stuffing his books into his bag, Gary still standing by the door. Stephen walked up to him casually and took the book from Gary's hand, noting the nod he gave him. "Ok then….see you next week." The youth let out dryly, walking out of the room without another word.

~

"A cooking contest? Out of all the favors you could have asked of me, money, a TV, stereo, a computer, clothes, house-sitting….I am used to getting those requests as favors, but asking me to be your partner in a cooking contest? Why would you want me in it?" Stephen asked, taking another bite out of his burger.

"Number one, you're my best friend, Stephen, and number two, the prize is scholarships to the college of your choice, for both contestants. Each place, from third to first, you get scholarships. And three….well, no one wants to be my partner anyway." He said, his final words said with a bit of embarrassment.

"Cause of your old school reputation. That's a bit cruel….but some people can't help it, on account of them being very ignorant….But….this would be earning money towards college….I have saved enough of my allowances for years now to afford a year of tuition, scholarships would help even better…." Stephen said, rubbing his chin in thought.

"But you're family is richer than rich? Won't they just pay your way through?" Lamont asked, getting a wry look out of Stephen. "They have offered, and they keep offering….for law school or medical school, but I don't want that. I want to be a scientist, you know, make things to benefit others like cures, clean cars, waste eating bacteria that helps the environment….you know, do things other than just go for a career to make money. I may be a bit of a daydreamer, but with the right schooling, I can do a lot. Work on genetics, technology, medicine, agriculture, the works….my parents think doing that will make the work harder on the real professionals that lose patients and clients when such advances are made. They're so old fashioned….so stuck on themselves, stuck on money. Even if I need it to go to college, it's not going to rule my life. This scholarship….provided we win, cold really help me out with my tuition at the scientific institute." 

Lamont looked dumbstruck for a moment, then let out a cheerful smile. "Then I take it you'll be my partner for the contest?"

Stephen nodded, sticking his hand out to Lamont to shake on it, and they did, but then Stephen tensed when he heard a faint sighing a ways behind him. "What's wrong? Cramp in your fingers?" Lamont joked, but Stephen gave an expression of nervousness as he began to stare at the table. "Are there girls staring at us….just nod if there are. And don't look like you're actually trying to see them, be casual."

Let go of my hand and I will." Lamont said plainly, and Stephen did so, staring down at his half eaten burger as if it was very fascinating. He waited a few moments before looking back up at Lamont, who nodded quickly for few seconds. "How many…and make it quiet." Stephen mumbled.

"I'd have to really look to do that, but to make a guess….over a dozen, black hair, red, blonde, colored….short long, pretty, slender, average. We have quite an audience….must be the hair." Lamont whispered back.

"Hair?"

"Yeah, my bright red and your shock white, they make us stand out. I'm surprised your asking me this, I thought you knew the girls were a stalking you. Who can ignore how nearly every girl in school, here, and on the street stare at you with puppy dog eyes and grins? They are hard to miss." Lamont replied, making a suggestive grin,

Stephen shrugged, silently cursing himself for not noticing something everyone else did. "Gary was right….he'll never let me hear the end of this now….hell. Ah, can't be helped….Maybe if I just admit I was mistaken, he'll leave it at that. Maybe," Stephen said lightly, not really hungry anymore," So, when's this contest?"

Lamont wagged his finger at him, a mock scolding look on his face. "No fair trying to change the subject, you shy violet….but, then again, I understand how you would feel a bit embarrassed about not noticing all that. I would be. Heh….well, the contest in Monday afternoon, right after school in the courtyard. We have the whole weekend to shop for ingredients and practice on my Dad. He loves food more than me, and it shows more too."

"What are we making?" Stephen asked, fingering his food with benign interest. "Chicken curry with a wild rice mixture….the theme is spicy dishes and that's my best….and it's the best I can afford on my crummy allowance. So, my Dad will come by with me to take of to the market tomorrow at noon, ok? That good for you?" Lamont said brightly.

"No problem. I'll be ready and happy for once, Mom's taking Casey to a new movie that morning with some of her little friends. Anything to get out of the house and do something." Stephen replied.

**_~ Haruka Supermarket ~_**

Stephen, Lamont, and Lamont's rather portly father walked into the local supermarket, getting few stares, mostly young women. Stephen looked at his feet the entire way in, well aware of the stares. 'Not one stared at me when I wore that brown wig. Why do I have white hair….Mom, Dad, and Casey don't, my grandparents never did. Do they think it's cute or odd? Why don't they say something, I hate to be stared at.' He thought uncomfortably. 

He balked as Lamont's father slapped him cheerfully on the back, chuckling in his deep and happy voice. "Boy, don't be so glum, cooking doesn't make you any less of a man. What if the woman you marry can't cook? Then you'll both be reduced to TV dinners, like I used to be until Lamont came along and learned to cook. Such a cute kid, huh?" his father chortled, and Stephen found it was Lamont's turn to look depressed. 

"Daaaaad….not in front of my friend. Girls, remember, girls." Lamont mumbled, getting a hearty slap of his own from his father. "He's so modest, my son the lady killer, just like I used to be till his cooking fattened me up, but I don't need to be that way anymore. I have his mother….lovely woman," his father was saying as they entered the meat aisle," Now you boys just stuff your arms with what you need for your meal. I'll wait near the registers. You two have fun."

Lamont's father walked off, leaning over at the end of the aisle to snatch off some doughnuts. "Ah dad….don't listen to him. He was portly before I learned to cook….his mom was a fantastic cook. I'm sorry I never got to meet her….she died before….well, just before me."

"I'd rather have your father than mine….a few good natured slaps on the back beat screaming matches each night at the table. I hate fighting with him, but he expects too much of me. He's been riding me ever since I could walk and talk to grow up fast and become a rich doctor or lawyer to make him and mom look good," Stephen sighed, grabbing up some chicken breast packages," Casey they are biding their time with. I bet by the time she's ten, they'll be signing her up for law school. Ah well…."

"Yeah, the way you talk about him, I don't think I ever want to meet the guy…but fear not, my friend. This weekend will be devoted to the glory of food. No more moaning and groaning about family or the fillies that gaze upon you. Now is the time for our love of cooking, and the scholarships it will win." Lamont chirped, grabbing up another two pounds of boneless chicken breasts.

"What else do we need….should I go back and get a basket or something for all of it?" Stephen asked.

Lamont chuckled. "You go to the produce section and I'll meet you there with a cart. Take the list with you. There should be fresh garlic bulbs there, some bottled mango chutney, and lemon juice bottles. You hold onto all that and I'll be there lickety-split." Lamont said, slamming the list into the chicken package Stephen was holding and walked off. Stephen just nodded and went towards the produce section.

**_~ The Inabikari Household ~_**

"Ok….this is going to be chicken curry with scallions and wild rice, my mother's personal Friday favorite. A heartburn nightmare if Dad overdose his eating of it, so we keep plenty of stomach medicine in the fridge for him. He loves my cooking way too much." Lamont said cheerfully. 

"Not something to be proud of, Lamont. Having an upset stomach hurts…even if what caused it tasted good." Stephen said, trying to suppress a laugh.

"I'm not proud of it, its just funny how my dad never learns to cut down. He knows its spicy stuff, but he loves my cooking so much he can't help himself. He's a good sport about it though, every time. He just hugs me when its all over and says better luck next time. My dad's such a card," Lamont chuckled, then gestured at all the ingredients," Now, with that all explained, let's get down to business. I'll explain it first then we cook, so we don't waste any food. Then we take the duplicate purchases of meat and such to the cafeteria fridge. Everyone places their stuff inside labeled with their names and takes them out to the cooking booths set up for them from the people that run the contest. This includes electric stoves, counters, a couple mixing appliances of choice for all, and things to measure, cut and mix with. Ok?"

Stephen nodded, and saluted his friend with a measuring spoon he picked off the counter. "I'm not an idiot in the kitchen, Lamont, I'll be the best help you can hope for….I hope. Just tell me once, I'll remember, I have a good memory. You should know that by now." 

"I know that. Man, I just wanted to bring you up to speed with what we'll have available. You know, just so you don't think I'm wasting time," Lamont replied, then started to count off on his fingers," First we make the sauce in a food processor, I already signed for what we need, so don't worry about us being left empty handed up at our booth. But the processor is not what we need, trust me."

"I didn't doubt with all your claims of being a good cook that you'd forget to ask for the essentials. Go on….and tell me why the processor isn't included" Stephen replied.

Lamont grinned and went on. "Ok then, we put two crush garlic gloves, three tablespoons of white wine vinegar and four of lemon juice, freshly squeezed mind you for better taste, one and half tablespoons of the curry powder, and three of the chutney and blend. I really don't like salt in it, so just put a dash of ground pepper in the mixture at least a couple times until the stuff is really smooth. I'll add the water and olive oil, so don't worry about those being in your corner. When that's all mixed, you turn the processor off and pour the mixture into the bowl I put the coriander in. We're going to make that today twice. This stuff has to be properly chilled for a day to be just right. So if we mess it up the first time around, which I doubt, we can redo it later on today. There's no rule against having previously sauces or dressing, there's not much to food processor in artistic interpretation. Some people are making fancy desserts that have fillings that require a day to settle, like sugar cookies, special pies, all that stuff."

"Anyway," Lamont went on," Once that's complete, and it will be, we started up the wild rice mix. This is the good part, where artistic points and timing are everything. We use a big saucepan and put about six and half cups of cold water in it, then two and half of the wild rice. I'll take care of the salt the water needs to give the rice more flavor, I want you to chop up the scallions. We'll let the rice simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes. I'll start cutting up the chicken once the rice is halfway done. Then when the rice is all cooked, we drain it and then put it in a new bowl with a tablespoon of the white wine vinegar and two of olive oil. Then we put it on ice for a little while, to keep it well while we cook the chicken up in the olive oil mixed in with three tablespoons of the curry powder. Once the chicken is done, get the rice out and set a few neat scoops on a dish, then the chicken and pour a decent helping of the chilled dressing lightly on the chicken. Overly wet rice tastes funny."

Lamont took a breath when he finished, smiling proudly. "So, any questions?"

Stephen looked thoughtful a moment, but shook his head. "As long as you don't change your mind about what you just said, no problems here. So can we get started on this dressing or what?"

Lamont smiled wider. "I thought you'd never ask, let our path to free tuition begin. Yeah!" he crooned, grabbing up the ingredients faster than Stephen could blink.

**_ ~ The Dark Universe ~_**

-Raven's Grotto-

"Oh my dear Raven….these knights seem to know what you're doing before you do it. Perhaps it would be wise to stray from those young men with the bright white and red hair. It seems they are always around when you send something after them." Xeno coaxed his young student, her head in his lap. They were sitting by the green pond of her grotto, rather he was the only one sitting and she was simply lying near him, her dark hair spread over his crossed legs. 

"I want their energy, you should have felt it. Not only are they beautiful men, but they have such delicious and over-abundant energy. It seems all those around them have great energy, the two dark-haired ones as well. I will not give up, I will just be more careful….I still have my trump cards. If Moon and his knights interfere with my plans again….well, there will be more lambs to the slaughter. I will break his very soul if he takes those beautiful ones away from me once more….I don't care. I want them." Raven whimpered, punching her lithe fist against his leg. He didn't bother to wince, only shook his head with a smile. 

"Lord Specter didn't give you your brother's mission for the hell of it. He did it expecting better results. You have provided him with many succulent ones and their energy, but if you have more, why don't you drain them? Specter will be enraged if he hears about this. Raven, you can't be so impulsive." Xeno replied, stroking her forehead delicately.

"Oh Xeno, I have made sure he'll never find out. I know you won't tell him, I know that. Moon Knight is too cocky, I need to break his spirits….these humans I have been collecting on the side will be perfect. I found a very cherry blonde girl the red-head likes….hah, hah, hah….he will soon weep over her corpse and Moon Knight will be to blame because he won't be able to stop me. Not to worry, love, everything will go perfectly, well, it would go better if I had that witch Glamour in my collection. That would drive Moon to the brink of insanity. Trust me, they will all suffer for messing with me." Raven snapped, lifting her body up quickly to stand over him.

He looked up with mild amusement, smiling thinly. "Just watch yourself. Maybe I wouldn't give you away, but there are others who would. I would talk about this anymore….how about we discuss what you are up to aside from that?"

"Mmm, fine, you're the teacher, and I am merely the student. Yes, I am doing something quite lovely this time. There's this stupid human contest for cooking in the beautiful ones' school. They get worthless money to attempt to become smarter and more rounded for their feeble jobs. Hah, when the Dark Universe rules the world, the only job humans will have is to serve us. My monster will gather up a lot of energy with a sneak attack. They'll all be so into the contest, they won't have time to run from him."

"Another possession, love?" Xeno asked, still smiling. "Oh course, he's not the most perfect looking man, but he was simple enough to trick into my sweet web of power. He'll do just fine," Raven chuckled, then suddenly faded out in whirlwind of black feathers," I have to go watch the fireworks, the sun has nearly risen on Earth. Time to play."

Xeno watched her vanished, getting up slowly as his own body faded out of the grotto in a hail of metal. "I pray that you don't get burned, my sweet. May the Dark Goddess protect you."

**_-Takozona Junior High -_**

_~ Monday Morning ~_

The weather had been absolutely perfect all day and still was, no matter how often the weathermen on TV said it would be a cloudy day with possible showers. There hadn't been a cloud in the sky, or a cloud in Stephen's good day. He didn't see Angela all day and there were no confrontations with students or teachers that he didn't care for.

As he and Lamont carted their supplies for the contest through the halls, not a soul in sight, he actually smiled. He liked the fact he was doing something beneficial to his own future and not his father's ambitions, and for the fact he was with a good friend. He was still a little miffed that Gary had to be the one to tell him he was being adored. It wasn't a terrible thing to find out his daydreams had cost him the knowledge of a lot of female affections, he was a bit flattered that he was looked at so fondly. He was angrier that it took so long for someone to let him in on it after a nutcase amazon staked her claim on his rump.

'Ah, don't let it bother you, this is supposed to a be a fun day….just like most days used to be before you became the guardian of Earth. I wish Cyrus had hired the army instead, we can't save everyone. We're not fighters, we're just teenage students….Ray and Angie may know how to fight right, but I'd rather help with my brain, not my fists. I could die out there….its not like the Dark Universe has done much to be noticed.' He thought, pushing open the courtyard door with his back, allowing Lamont to pass through before he moved away from it. 

"I have a good feeling about today….I just know we're going to win. Follow me, Stephen, our booth is the green one. Sorry, you may be our leader, but I reign supreme in cooking." Lamont chuckled, walking spryly off toward the green counter littered with bowls, spoons, measuring tools, plates with an electric stove beside it, a pale white colored one. Stephen followed his friend to their counter and helped him spread out all their ingredients across the table. 

"Let's get all the right proportions measured out, ok? This contest only lasts a couple hours, so its good to be all prepared to cook and not worry about spillage and measuring time. We've got enough time before the contest starts, just take your time. You take the coriander, chutney and oil. I have to go get the water put into the bowl for the rice and the dressing. Guard the fort with you life, Stephen." Lamont chirped, running off towards a water fountain, which already had a small line of people behind it, with a large measuring cup and a bucket-like bowl.

"Yes, mon capitan. I will not desert my post….heh, what a card he is. Ah well, time to get down to business." Stephen said quietly, grabbing up another measuring cup and bowls for the chutney and coriander. He poured them into their respective bowls with ease, smiling as he reached for the olive oil bottle. He was shocked when his hand met with something warm and clothed. 

"Hi Stephen….what are you doing out here?" Stephen flinched slightly as he turned his head towards the familiar voice. "Mark? Hey, uh, hi." He stuttered out, letting go of his friend's arm and grabbed up the olive oil, but didn't open it.

"Hi too, so what are you doing here? I didn't know you had a thing for cooking…." Mark smiled, his husky face grinning from ear to ear. 'Oh please, you know this won't make me blush, Mark." Stephen thought sorely.

"I am Lamont's cooking partner, no one wanted to help him." Stephen replied, measuring up the oil.

"The blonde crazy bully? You're friends with him?! Heh, typical, your girlfriend is crazy, figures you'd make friends with another lunatic." Mark teased, chuckling.

"Very cute, Mark….go figure, this whole school is paranoid about a guy with a slight reputation from his old school. He explained it all to me, I don't see what's so bad about him. The prize for winning a scholarship to a school of choice. And Angie is not my girlfriend. Stop teasing me about that annoyance." Stephen chuckled, setting the oil aside, closing the lid.

"Sorry, man, it's just a shock to see you showing off anything in public. You even refused to be in the school play when we were still in pre-school over your shyness. Now look at you, a teenager and the new kid has you in a contest with him. You sure have changed since we were kids." Mark commented, trying to finger the chutney. Stephen rapped on his hand with a wooden spoon, making his hand shoot back. "Don't touch the ingredients….Well, we were only eight when your parents and mine refused to let us play together. A lot of things changed after that night. Parents are such a pain….they claim to be looking out for your best interests, but they're really looking out for themselves."

"Yeah, you've changed more than me. We're still friends at school and all and can make each other laugh, but you're real cynical now. But, you're still my friend, Stephen." Mark let out, offered a cheeky smile, rubbing his hand.

"I know I am, and yes, we'll always be friends Mark. We just can't go to the arcades or play video games and such at each others houses cause of that one night." Stephen sighed, patting his friend on the shoulder.

"What night!? And who's he?" Lamont near shouted at them when he came back and set down the water he'd collected. Stephen just turned towards the redhead, but Mark leapt four feet in the air from shock. "Jeez, you're as sneaky as mugger! Don't do that." Mark rasped. Lamont just smiled brightly, giving off a faint blush on his cheekbones. "Sorry, habit of mine. Hi, I'm Lamont Inabikari. Pleased to meet you." Lamont let out, extending a wet hand as he chuckled. 

Mark briefly shook Lamont's hand, then wiped his hand off on his school uniform, offering a slight smile. "Mark Tepes, Stephen and I have been friend since we were toddlers."

"Cool….so how come I never see you over at his house or at the arcade?" Lamont asked. "Our parents hate each other." Mark replied, nudging his head at Stephen, who looked a bit unsettled. 

"Why?" Lamont asked, looking at Stephen. "It was just a silly dinner thing, my mother and his father were both in the same firm and they always invited each other and their spouses over for cocktails and a catered supper….me and Mark would play in our rooms, depending on what house we were in. We were watching TV that night, and there was wine at the table as always. Our moms got really drunk this time, and as luck would have it….my mother had a bad day. So, she took it out by insulting his mother, then his father, Stephen explained," Being the understanding man my father is, he blamed it all on Mark's parents because they provided the wine and apparently provoked my mother to insult them. Dad was too big-headed to admit his wife could ever be at fault, so he punched mark's father, then yanked me off the couch and told me we'd never see the Tepes ever again."

"That sounds a bit stupid. But you and Mark still went to the same school, didn't you?" Lamont piped. "Our parents may have been stubborn and stupid, but not that stupid as to waste money on moving or sending us to different schools. We were just banned from each other's houses….I doubt Mom even recalls that night, she was so smashed that night, she could have met a werewolf and not remembered it." Stephen replied, shrugging gently. 

"Yeah, too stubborn to forgive, but too cheap to make their new rules really stick. I'm on curfew too, so I can't go anywhere unless my mother or father goes with me. Seeing each other at school is ok for now. Once we get into college, we can get around the rules easier. I don't know….it's a couple years away, maybe out parents will forgive each other before then." Mark said blissfully.

Stephen snorted. "Yeah, and pigs can talk and fly to heaven."

Mark shrugged, eyeing their food suddenly. "What do you do with the food after the contest is over?"

Stephen chuckled at that, and Lamont stifled a laugh. "We eat it….but then again, I had this dish three nights ago. It's not good to over indulge. That and Stephen ate our test dish on Saturday….if you can wait a couple hours, you can have it. Usually I give it off to anyone who asks….lucky day, its you, Mark." Lamont chirped.

"Honestly?" Mark asked, getting a nod from both young men. "Mark, just go and sit at the lunch tables. Wait there when the contest ends too, we'll bring it all over." Stephen chuckled. Mark smiled wide and bright, clasping his hands together tightly.

"All right, free food. Good luck guys….I'll be waiting….And Stephen, try and live a little more often. Like ditching that Amazon nut, be more impulsive."

"I am plenty impulsive….and I have been trying to ditch her. Get out'a here, Mark, or you'll be on the menu. "Stephen teased. 

"Yeah, yeah, just think about it. I've never seen you smiling and laughing this long since we put frogs in my mom' bubble bath. Try and live a little more often, a little advice from an old friend." Mark chuckled, running off towards the lunch tables. 

"Frogs in a bubble bath? Heh, Stephen has an impish side to him. Hah, hah!" Lamont chuckled. Stephen promptly bopped him on the head, a sore look on his face.

"Quit it….I was six years old. Stop poking fun at me and straighten up, the judges are coming." Stephen said quietly, planting his arms at his side.

~

"Lovely, yes, oh, that pastry looks lovely, Aiko….Mina, yes, very lovely. Just take your time." A thin judge was saying, accompanied by two other rather husky bearded men. The two brunettes smiled cheerfully at them as the thin judge complimented them. Stephen could see that they were making berry tarts with homemade shells, filling and strawberry cream. He wondered if they'd let him have one after the contest, they looked good enough to eat raw, he bet they'd taste even better cooked. 'Not if we win, or the other way around. How does victory taste when you eat the losers' food. Heh, food is food….does it matter?' Stephen thought, as he put the rice away in the cooler Lamont had carted the food in from home. It wasn't terribly big, it original red color a faded and rusty pink with a few white cracked lines along the edges. It kept things cold, that was all that mattered, but it looked like Lamont habitually abused it. 

He relaxed his best as he chopped up the scallions on the counter into perfect half cylinders, as perfect as the knife permitted, looking up briefly to smile at the judges. Lamont had stressed that ignoring the judges any time they were nearby was considered rude, so smiling was essential. Lamont was throwing the fat from the chicken away and washing his hands with soap in the basin of water the judges had dropped off at each booth. Stephen was happy about that, he had initially cringed mentally when he saw there was nothing to clean their hands with at the booth, and they were working with raw chicken after all. He had a right to be worried about getting the judges sick with salmonella. 

Lamont was up before the judges reached them, using a fork to put the chicken in the curry and garlic butter sauce he'd made during the rice boiling, for an extra kick for the taste buds. The judges got there as he was turning the chicken over to cook the remaining raw side, the cooked side dressed in baked redness and pressed garlic. Stephen admitted it on Saturday, as funky as it looked, it smelled heavenly. He could see that the judges agree, their appreciative smiles growing wider, the thin man coming right up to the wooden edge of the counter just to take a deep sniff of it all. 

"I guess young men can cook just as well as young ladies around here finally. We rarely see boys entering our contest, the college students have more men that the junior high schools have entering the contests. It smells divine, boys….Keep up the good work." He said, then after a few minutes more of staring at their booth, the man and his companions walked off to the next booth, which had two other girls roasting up a crown rack of lamb with new potatoes.

"I guess that counts for something….But I can't get over how we're to only guys in this contest." Lamont chuckled, flipping the chicken over with a new, clean fork, the spicy scent of chicken and curry sauces wafting up his and Stephen's nostrils. "Its very stereotypical at this school….I don't know, Dad normally raise their sons to the idea that cooking and cleaning is woman's work. I'd think that if my mom could cook. Our maid does all the cooking, she taught me how cause I was afraid I'd be made to marry someone as lousy in the kitchen as mom was. Its not so hard, once you get used to it." Stephen replied, dropping the scallions in a colander and poured the measured bowl of raisins with them.

"I'll be back in a minute, rinsing time….speaking of which, how much time is left on the clock for this contest. I forgot my watch." Stephen added. Lamont looked down at his watch and his eyes widened slightly. "We have about a half hour left, plenty of time. I'll get the dishes set up for the final presentation, sauce and all." Lamont told him, shuffled the pan with the chicken a bit over the heat, making loud sizzles erupt from it.

Stephen saluted and trotted off to the water fountain. 'If we win, I'll forget all the times this fountain sprayed me in the face….and rained on me. Only if….' Stephen thought mildly, glad there was no line at the water fountain. He started to rinse off the colander's contents, taking his time there and occasionally looking from it to the booth that still held Lamont.

When he saw the judges circling back around to check on the tart baking girls, he knew he had to get back to the booth. He walked back as casually as possible, keeping a small smile on his lips in case the judges bothered to look at him. They did and smiled back, returning their attentions back to the girls slowly as Stephen reached his booth again. "Everything's done. Mix up the scallions and raisins up with a spoon before you litter them onto the rice….argh, the rice. Its still in the cooler. You just mix. I already did the chicken, the sauce is last." Lamont sputtered out, sounding more nervous suddenly.

"Relax….they won't ban you from your dreams, you know. It's a contest….breath, Lamont, breath. Freaking out now will lose you points.Just stay calm." Stephen coaxed, grabbing up a wooden spoon to stir up the contents of the colander gently. Lamont smiled at him, taking a few deep breaths before opening up the cooler.

Stephen looked up from his efforts to where he'd last seen the judges, seconds before he heard females screaming. "What the? Oh no, not now!" Stephen choked out, nearly breaking the spoon inside the colander. He dropped what he held onto the counter, scaring Lamont so bad, he accidentally made the cooler lid slam down on his fingers. "Ow! What did you do that for, Mr. Calm?" Lamont griped.

Stephen stayed standing with a scared looked on his face. "Dark Universe….is here." Was all Stephen could say. Lamont did a double-take at those words, then cautiously peered over the counter to where Stephen was staring. He saw a giant gold and necrotic looking beetle, more like a bug-man in torn clothing holding the two husky judges in his pincer-like hands. They were alive, but bleeding and groaning in his deadly grip. "Kato! Stop, you're a public official, for God's sake!! What the hell has happened to you?!" one of them screamed, getting throw into the tart girls' booth rather hard, sending tarts and kitchenware flying in every direction.

"Kato is no more, I am Tweedle, Dark Universe Warrior. And you are all dead! Give me the beautiful ones and I might make your deaths quick!" the beetle-man cackled in a crackly and fuzzy sounding voice. Stephen knew who Tweedle meant, Raven had made it a fine point with Flux and Dream Weaver that she wanted both Lamont and himself for her own sadistic purposes, whatever they were. 

'Our energy, if she knew we were knights, she wouldn't send such rejects after us….What kind of a name for a monster is Tweedle? Sounds like a wussy bug.' Stephen thought, trying not to laugh when the monster announced its name. Lamont was smirking, holding in his laughter as best he could as well. 

"He wants us…That Raven has good taste, but this is considered to be inter-dimensional stalking. She's making me sick," Lamont whispered, grabbing the colander and stuffing it inside the cooler," I have an idea, but it involves us being bait. You up for it?"

"He's hurting people, hell yeah I'd love to be injured instead. Not….but we have no choice, we can't transform here. Damn that stupid cat….the least Cyrus could have done was give us some kind of tracking device or something so we'd know when they were around. We don't have bad-guy senses….ah forget it, what's the plan?" Stephen whispered back.

"This. HEY TWEEDLE! I STEPPED ON YOUR MOTHER! CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!" Lamont yelled at the top of his lungs, flinging a dirty, glass bowl at Tweedle. The bug-man looked up at the screaming youth, his mandibles clicking wildly at the sight of both of his targets, then spread them out as he saw the bowl lined with raw chicken grease and curry sauce flying at him. It connected with his face with a an explosion of food remnants and shattering glass.

"That's your plan!? Pissing him off?" Stephen yelped, then felt his friend yank him away from the booth. 

"Yes, now run for the school. We lure it to the roof…for a big surprise. Just make sure no one sees you, transform in a closet if you have to…just get there!" Lamont said in a harsh whisper and dragged his friend in a sprint towards the school.

Tweedle had gotten the glass and food off his golden face by the time they rammed through the doors, all of the other contestants and the tart smeared judge had run off and out of his reach. 

'Later, I'll feast on their bodies once I get the pretty boy's for the mistress.' Tweedle though, tossing the other judge away into a cherry tree and charged off at the school.

Stephen had ducked into the chemistry lab room and hid under one of the counters with a bunch of microscopes. He heard Tweedle rage by the room, the class on the door and lockers outside shattering at the sound of his shrill voice. 'I am going to get Raven for this….why can't she go after someone else, someone I can save and then plant my sword up her butt?' he thought, waiting patiently for the screeching insects voice to fade away.

Stephen climbed out quiet and pulled out his pendant. He stared at a moment, shaking his head. "Why couldn't I have just gotten a job I could quit from. This is just not something I want to do, what's point of fighting when we're just fighting the lackeys and not the leader. Or what's the point at all, I'd rather be reading that saving people who have nothing to do with me….ah well, quit griping or Lamont will be on his own. He'd hate me for that.' He thought, then held up his pendant and whispered," Moon Sword, transform. Oh!"

**_~ The Roof ~_**

Jupiter Knight had made his transformation in a janitor's closet on the second floor, far from where Tweedle was, or so he thought. As he emerged from it, he saw Tweedle entering the hallway, screaming at the top of his lungs, mandibles snapping. Jupiter sprinted off for the roof the second the scream was made, trying to ignore the sounds of Tweedle's murderous clawed feet racing after him. When he'd reached the roof door, he found it locked, but that was a brief realization. Tweedle came charging at him up the stairs and rammed into both him and the door, shooting both of their bodies out onto the roof. Now they were at a standoff, Tweedle's golden beetle face littered with food and glass, mandibles snapping wildly and angrily while Lamont stood stifle with his pole-arm.

"Make your movie, bug breath. Tweedle, what kind of a stupid name is that for a Dark Universe monster. You must be a real puss in battle, total wimp!" Jupiter taunted, rapping his pole-arm on the ground.

"Wimp, huh? How's this for wimpy? **_Sonic Buster!_** Yaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Tweedle screamed, yellow rings of light raging towards Jupiter. He'd been so fixated on taunting the thing, he hadn't bothered to move out of the way and took the sonic attack in full. He was blown back hard, the attack vibrating painfully throughout his body as it threw him against a roof ledge, the cement ledge cracking inward on impact. 

Jupiter coughed up blood as he picked himself up, managing a faint rap of his pole-arm as Tweedle laughed at him. "Let's see you laugh this off. **_Spiral Shocker!!_**"

He shouted, the cyclone of electricity spinning around him madly before shooting off towards Tweedle. 

Jupiter swore under his breath as Tweedle only laughed at his attack and leapt out of the way like a bullet, suddenly appearing in front of his face. Tweedle grabbed Jupiter by his throat before he could react and slammed him into the ledge again, forcing Jupiter's weapon out of his hand. Jupiter grabbed the thing's arm, his hands clawing at the tough skin littered with sharp golden barbs to break free. Tweedle went on laughing.

"Good fight…not. I win, you pitiful human! Now prepare to lose face, literally. I am starving!! Hah ha haaaaaaa!!" Tweedle laughed, his mandibles snapping over and over again, dripping with clear drool over their golden, razor-sharp edges.

"Sorry, contest isn't over yet, Twittle. **_Celestial Beam!!_**" a voice boomed, moments before Tweedle felt a searing hot pain shoot into his spine. He leapt up hoping to avoid another hit, but it had cost him Jupiter, who was already righting himself. 

"**_Spiral Shocker!!_**" the youth shouted, aiming his pole-arm to where Tweedle was about to land. Tweedle knew he could leap away in time, he could if nothing got in the way.

"Didn't I say it wasn't over, bug brain?! Hah!!" Moon Knight shouted, leaping up at Tweedle to prevent his escape and slashing out at his chest. Tweedle screeched in pain, reaching out wildly at his attacker. He managed to get the young knight's arm in one pincher and dragged him down with him to crash into the roof. He turned around swiftly as Jupiter's attack neared them, laughing hoarsely. "You may defeat me, but he won't live to see another battle!! Congratulations, Jupiter Knight, you've just murdered your leader!! Ah ahahahahahaaaa!" Tweedle cackled, Jupiter's face filled with horror as he raced at them.

Tweedle held the silver knight close to him, laughing still as the cyclone of lightening was nearly upon them, but then things got fuzzy. He felt something jab his side, pain erupting there as if he'd been impaled. Then he felt a swift breeze fly by him with another eruption of pain in his stomach. By the time the last pain had begun, he found the silver knight was gone and the lightening cyclone was upon him. 

"Noooooooooo !!!!!!!!!!" he screamed, feeling every part of his body go alive with burning pains, everything felt like it was being attacked at once and repeatedly. He was being burned alive.

~

Moon was sure he was going to die when Tweedle got hold of him, prepared to take him into hell with Jupiter's own attack. It wasn't Jupiter's fault, far from it, Moon couldn't blame him for what was happening. 

'God….don't you dare blame yourself for this, Lamont. This Dark Universe trash is playing with your mind.' He thought, shutting his eyes as Jupiter's attack was getting closer. The next thing he knew was that he heard Tweedle screaming and smelled something burning, not like flesh or anything, more acidic smelling than anything. 'Like burning a beetle with a magnifying glass….a very large beetle.' He thought, aware that arms were around him, soft and slender, the faint scent of roses close to him. He unconsciously nuzzled against what was holding him, opening his eyes very slowly. 

"Glamour…." He whispered quietly, finding his cheek on her right arm and chest armor, looking up at her as she looked at the dying Tweedle. He could almost see under her mask, the faint sight of her full lashes, closed halfway, the scent of her skin taking him in, like she was a living rose. He could see a tear fall out of the mask, pity for not being able to save Tweedle's host body, the man that Raven had possessed with dark energy. 

'It's all my fault….I should have been more careful and freed his mind instead. What she must think of me….what is she thinking? Glamour….' He thought, unconsciously gripping her hand. 

"I'm sorry." He said, not really knowing what he was sorry for, not saving the human Tweedle once was or for making her risk her life for him again. She looked down at him when he did that, her lips of pure red in a thin luscious line, not smiling or frowning. Then the corner of her mouth lifted, a small smile, so soft and delicate, he swore a master artist sculpted them. So inviting and gentle, it made him forget his troubles. 

"You did all you could. The darkness ruined his life in this one moment, we set him free. Now no one will hate this poor man for what Raven made him do," she said, her voice as soft and sweet as her skin," There are always casualties in war, and this is a war we all must win, no matter the price. Some must sadly pay it. This is cruel to say, but there is no avoiding it all the time. You must understand that."

"I understand….but please, stay. We could use your help….you might be a knight like us. Who gave you your powers, please tell me. Who are you?" he asked, his voice very calm.

She shook her head, not moving. "I don't know who I really am and I don't know what created these powers. I don't have control over them….they only appear when you are in danger. It is my duty to protect you….but finding the moon prince and earth princess is my life's quest. Only then will I be told the truth. That's all I care about, finding the truth." She said, then gripped her head.

"I must go, she said sharply, getting up. Moon Knight gripped her arm tightly as she did, making her stop short. 

'Do it….at least get it off your chest….Let her know you care….that you care enough to die for her, to help her.' He thought, lifting his face up to hers. He took her shocked red lips in his, kissing her softly for a brief moment before falling back on the ground. She was up in an instant, her lips trembling at his action. He was fearful for a moment that his boldness just cost him everything. Glamour just stood there, then touched her lips thoughtfully. "I'd do anything for you, Glamour. The Galaxy Knights will help you, our quests are the same. Let us help you, you can trust m….us." he said quietly, standing up slowly and looking right at her. 

"Moon Knight….I….you would do that?" she said softly, then gripped her head again.

"Glamour! What's wrong?" he yelped, reaching out towards her, but she knocked his hand away and started to run. 

"I must go….be well Moon Knight. I wish you all luck in this battle! Farewell!" she shouted, leaping off the roof.

"GLAMOUR!!" Moon Knight screamed, rushing to the roof's ledge to see if she was all right. He was slightly relieved that he'd gotten his wish, she wasn't hurt….she had also disappeared. 

'Gone again, with my heart, but at least you know how I feel….oh please, don't let me have ruined it now. She's wonderful….she didn't pull out of the kiss….maybe she feels the same way about me. The last thing I need her to think is that I'm a total ass.' He thought, smiling as he turned about. Jupiter was there to greet him with his own smile, clapping his gloved hands lightly.

"Well, well, well, living a little….at last. What was it like? Huh? Tongue?" Jupiter snickered.

Moon shook his head at his friend, waving him off. "Don't be such a pervert….I didn't want to make her think I was a jerk by playing tonsil hockey with our first kiss. Its none of your business how I kissed her, all that matters is that I kissed her, and she didn't pulled away or yell at me. I think she likes me….God knows I love her." He grinned, walking off towards the roof door, his transformation fading away. Jupiter forced his away too, but ran ahead of Stephen and stopped him.

"Ah ah ah, Romeo, no way you're facing the judges with lipstick on you mouth. They'll think you're a fruitcake." Lamont snickered, wiping Stephen's lips free of the red lip marks he'd made when he kissed Glamour. Stephen sputtered and pushed Lamont's hands away and wiped the rest of the lipstick off with his own hands. 

"Knock it off and let's go see how everyone is doing down there. I kind'a lost track of the rest of the contestants after Twittle the Stain back there raised hell." Stephen replied, racing down the stairs, Lamont following after him.

**_~ Meanwhile ~_**

Mark Tepes had been hiding under a lunch table when the giant beetle monster had appeared and he was still cursing at himself for not calling the police sooner. Stephen and Lamont were yelling at it before and it had chased them into the building. A few minutes later, explosions and screaming could be heard from the roof of the school, bits and pieces of the roof flying down to the ground.

He came out from under the table when the sounds ceased, but he saw no one else was around to share in the silence, or they were all too scared to come out to enjoy it. Mark wondered where Stephen was and if he was all right when he felt a slender hand wrap around his shoulder.

He yelped slightly, turning around his husky body in fright….to see the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his life. Her eyes were sort of purple, the skin was pale and exotic smelling and her long, shimmering black hair hugged around every curve of the tight fitting black dress she was wearing. What was even more shocking was that she was smiling at him, seductively, and winking at him. 

"Hi, cutie….awful brave to come out of hiding with some monster attacking. Brave and handsome, just the way I like my men." She cooed, playing with his lanky hair. 

"Handsome? Me?" he yelped, then felt rhythms of shock pour all over his body when she kissed him hungrily. He knew he should be stunned or at least fight a little bit when a strange and drop dead gorgeous woman just up and starts to French kissing him. He knew he should, but he'd never been kissed before, and he was damn sure he was going to enjoy this fluke of life. After a few more minutes, he couldn't think at all.

Raven stepped back from the rather portly young man, the one she'd seen the white-haired boy. Stephen was his name the handsome target's name, he'd been taking to this Mark boy when she saw them. Friends since childhood, she heard from her eavesdropping, very close friends. 

"Very good bait, that's what you are, honey. Now you're my slave….my….my, latest toy. You'll come in handy later on….so follow me, lover boy, time to meet your fate, as the main part of my plan. Oh…Moon Knight….you will be sorry when my target finds out what you couldn't do for this lost soul. Oh, I can hardly wait." She laughed, grabbing the entranced Mark up close to her side. The pair disappeared in a haze of dark feathers, not a cry for help to ever be heard.

Stephen and Lamont made it back outside in the courtyard the minutes later, finding the place devoid of life and full of empty food booths.

Stephen was about to suggest they look around more thoroughly when Lamont cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled," COME OUT, COME OUT WHEREEVER YOU ARE!!! THE GIANT BEETLE GOT KILLED!!"

Stephen kept his hands over his ears as his friend began screaming, annoyed at the childish manner he chose to get everyone out, but it worked. People popped out from behind their booths and out of trees and bushes nearby.

The remaining judges were at the head of the pack with questions, the few contestants who came from the trees and bushes all going back to their booths to check on their dishes. Stephen and Lamont could see plenty were abandoned, leaving only six teams left, including themselves. 

"What happened? Who killed it? You two?" the two judges asked in unison.

Stephen and Lamont looked at each other with, looking at each other with amused smiles, then back at the adults. "No, those heroes on the news reports on sometimes, The Galaxy Knights. Jupiter and Moon Knight saved the school and all of our lives." Lamont said, as if he were born to act.

"They were here? My God, if only they had stayed we would have thanked them ourselves." The men said, making the two younger men step back. 'Weirdoes, must be twins in their minds or something.' Stephen thought.

"They said they were just trying to make the school safe from evil…all that hero jazz. They disappeared before we could thank them too, so don't feel so bad. At least no one was hurt too badly." Stephen assured them, getting smiles from the men.

Once again, they said together," Then back to the contest….Kato would have wanted it this way, before that horrible creature destroyed him. We do this in his living memory. Oh, sniffle."

Stephen and Lamont shrugged and went back to their booth, arranging their dish slowly. The contestants that were still around got extra time on account of Tweedle interrupting them so suddenly. The tart baking girls were gone, and Stephen felt bad for them. Those tarts looked really good, he felt terrible that Tweedle chose to freak out near them and ruin their chances just because it could. 

'I should give them my apologies….but then again they'd say I'm being big headed and snooty no matter what. Lamont and me are still in the contest, they lost because a giant bug landed in their food. Just leave them be.' He thought, sprinkling on the scallion and raisin mixture onto the steaming wild rice. It hadn't been kept cold long enough, but that's how Lamont wanted it, the mix of hot and cold giving it a built in steam effect. Stephen could have cared less, but Lamont was the chef in charge, not him. 

Lamont poured the dressing onto each chicken breast carefully and then set the gravy boat the dressing was in beside the plate. He started waving his hand at the judges, then stopped when he saw they were being bandaged and treated by the school nurse. 

'Just her luck she stayed for the contest and had to drag her skinny butt back to her office to get medical stuff. Least it's not me she's treating, she's sick of healing my constant daydreaming injuries.' Stephen thought.

Another ten minutes passed before the judges were properly taken care of and rest of the other contestants had completed their dishes. Lemon meringue pie, seafood gumbo, homemade dumplings and spicy swordfish, sourdough cookies, apple cobbler with caramel cream icing, and their own curry chicken with wild rice….that's all there was to judge. The judges started by the pie and were given a cool slice, each took a bite, one smiling and the other not. The girls there frowned, but they both assured them not to frown so soon. They had only judged one booth after all.

The next booth was the gumbo, made by two portly dark-haired girls, and both judges smiled at the taste. They went on, trying to sample the dumplings, but they fell apart on the fork that jabbed them. The judges grimaced when they managed to taste them. The swordfish was burnt too and the girls cried when they were told the food wasn't very tasty. 

The two whimpered that the giant beetle had ruined their food, they were too scared when it showed up to turn the stove off. The judges shook their heads and said they saw them turn their stove off. The food was already ruined before the beetle showed up. The two girls ran off wailing at the top of their lungs. 

"Cheaters never prosper." The judges said together, shaking their heads at the sad meal, then walked up to the next one that had the cookies. They both smiled again, delighting at the buttery richness of the little and soft desserts. This team had a blonde girl and curly redhead, both hugging each other and jumping up and down at the judges' words.

The apple cobbler drenched in hot caramel cream sauce was next, and the two judges took forkfuls each from the delicious looking dessert. They chewed it slightly then one spit his up, the other looking at his comrade with dismay. The one who enjoyed it asked him quietly what was wrong and Stephen knew he heard the guy swearing. They had taken bites from different sections of the cobbler. 

"Raw?" the other judge said, and the spitting one nodded. The other judge took a forkful from his comrade's side, noting the panicked looks on the two motley looking girls. They were in Stephen's science class, the ones that nearly got expelled for putting stolen frog innards in their teacher's soup. The man had lived and they were suspended for a month. They hated school with a passion, but getting free tuition would get them anywhere they wanted. 

'To learn how to kill people better….or shut their parents up. Lunatics.' Stephen thought and bit his lip as the other judge spit up his new forkful. 

"It is raw over here….What are you trying to do? Poison us??" he yelled. The girls shrugged, the one on the right saying dryly. "We got impatient….It looks the same raw as it does cooked, what's the big deal. Looks are everything."

"Not in this contest, young lady. Forget it….food poisoning gets you no points….and no wins in this business." The judges said together, walking towards Stephen and Lamont at last. Lamont grabbed his the dish and ducked down, Stephen following him with the gravy boat as the motley girls tossed their disaster cobbler at them and the judges, hitting the judges both in the back in a hailstorm of raw cobbler dough and hot caramel sauce. They were less than pleased, as was the nurse and the principal, who had finally come out of hiding, to grab both girls by their hiking up skirts and dragged them off kicking and screaming into the school.

Lamont and Stephen got back up when the noise was muffled by the doors shutting, finding the judges staring them down, both soiled with raw cake and caramel sauce. They set the dish and gravy boat down in front of them slowly, staring back with small smiles and worried eyes. 

The men sighed together and first dipped their forks into the wild rice mixture. They both mumbled our surprised "Mmmm's" for a few moment, then used their forks to chop off some of the curried chicken, making more of the sounds. They looked at each other a moment, nodded and then put their forks down near the dish. They walked a ways off so all the booth tenders could see and hear them. 

"After tasting al of your wonderful dish, we have narrowed down the three winners for the scholarship prizes of the contest. In third place, Liana Tuska and Amy Voygt with their luscious lemon meringue pie, and win the prize of a semester scholarship of the college of each of their choice. Congratulations, Liana and Amy." The judges announced.

The girls hugged each other, bouncing around in circles at their winning. "All right, in second place, for a spectacular mouth-tingling sweetness, Naga and Haruka Saiklune. Let's give a big hand to this sister act that makes a mean batch of cookies who have won two years of paid tuition, also for the college of their choice." The judges went on. These girls were practically screaming out their praises and love for the judges leaping up and down in place.

"And for the grand prize winners of the full tuition payments, as well as the medals for best cooks of the Tokyo school district for this year's cook-off." the men said, eyeing each other, then the remaining contestants. 

"For really spicing up our lives….not to mention the richest and most tantalizing meal we've ever sampled at any of our annual contests, Lamont Inabikari and Stephen Tsukikage with their curried chicken and wild rice dish. Congratulations, young men, you are the winners." The men finished.

Stephen was stuttering at their win, not because they'd won, but because Lamont had not told him the prize was full tuition. Lamont was chanting out a fresh string of "Yes's" and "Kick ass's" during this, pounding on the counter happily, not even noticing that Stephen's legs were giving out until he fell into his side. 

"Whoa….don't die of happiness here….breath, Stephen. We won!" Lamont chirped, shaking his friend to get him out of his initial shock.

"Full tuition….any college….I'm dreaming….no, don't let me be. Full tuition, I can go to the best college in the world now….my parents can't hold me back…ha….hahahahaaaa. God….any school…." Stephen was uttering, his face looking very flushed and uncontrollably happy.

"Now, to those of you that won and lost, follow us and we'll take care of the final paperwork to get your prizes all set up and the consolation prizes sent out. Come on, don't be shy, not after today." The judges said, leading off winners and losers back to the school. Lamont had to help Stephen up and to the door because he was still mumbling out his disbelief and sudden joy. 

"Heh, see Stephen? Mark said for you to live a little and look what it got you. Glamour likes you, we won this contest, and our college futures are made. Not even the Dark Universe can ruin our day." Lamont smiled, but then he felt Stephen stopped him. 

"Where is Mark?" he asked, pointing at the deserted table area. Lamont shrugged. "He's only human, most of the actual contestants ran off, he probably went with them. He's probably just fine. I'll make him up a batch of curried chicken and we can give it to him for Friday. He won't mind a little wait, I'm sure. Seems like and ok guy." Lamont assured him, getting a nod from Stephen. 

"Yeah, he's not the bravest person in the world either. He's probably home by now. I can't call to be sure….his parents hate me too." Stephen replied.

"Yeah, we'll see him tomorrow probably, don't worry. Now let's go sign up for our prizes. My parents are going to freak when they find out we won. This is all legal, so your parents can't interfere with it either. Let's get going, bud." Lamont said rapidly, running off and inside the school. Stephen just laughed and gave off a pleased smiled, following his friend's lead happily.


	12. Ch 12Earth Princess Party!

Chapter 12 **__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the** "Sailor Moon" **series. This goes along the lines of the original series, but an alternate dimension. Trust me, eventually, my knight will meet the scouts. Patience is a virtue, so awaiting that moment won't be so bad. REVIEW!!

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Chapter 12

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Earth Princess Party!

Stephen carried Cyrus to school in the morning, already knowing he was to drop the talking cat in some bushes before entering the school. This had become a habit for Stephen, or Cyrus' habit to protect the school's occupants from harm. It was all too obvious that Raven was after Lamont and Stephen at this school and Ray at his military school. Ray had nearly been driven insane in his own attack, but Raven had not been as stubborn and persistent with going after him as she was with the other two boys. 

Cyrus had told all of the knights that even though the members of the Dark Universe looked human and may have been human at one time or another, they weren't now. Only in appearance were they remotely human, what was inside was close to a demon from hell, the once human souls they possesses twisted and misshapen to their own evil desires. 

With the addition of the powers the Dark Universe gave them, they could find great quantities of energy in a crowd, just one person could stand out in their minds as being "the perfect target." Hence, Stephen, Ray, and Lamont were all Galaxy Knights and all male, making them the perfect targets for a power hungry maniac like Raven, not to mention male beauty crazy as well. It was the only reason Angela had never been attacked in her normal form, Raven had no interest in females.

The knights last encounter with her had been rather annoying with Cyrus actually falling prey to her dark energy. He was after all just a cat, he had no special protection against it the same as normal humans also lacked. The knights had a bit more shielding that he did, but if caught off guard, they would be just as susceptible. Cyrus had felt rotten about nearly clawing his master's eyes out, he felt even worse when Stephen refused to hurt him, going into a fetal position for a while as Cyrus slashed and clawed and bit him to get through the armor. Cyrus was thankful Ray wasn't so unwilling to fight a friend to save his life, but being cold-cocked by the flat part of the sword several times was going a bit too far.

Cyrus yawned as quietly as he could, his gaze traveling to Stephen's right hand, smiling proudly at the communicator wristband of gray. Stephen had finally gotten fed up when he and Lamont were attacked at the cook-off, forced to take a man's life because he tried to take Stephen down with him. He ranted that there had to be a way to contact each other from long distances in a hurry, and cell phones were booted out a suggestion before anyone could suggest it. He wanted something fast and simple, like walkie talkies or radio device. 

Ray showed him a military gear catalogue he ordered stuff from for training expeditions and for his grandfather's birthday, him being a blade fanatic and collector. They had looked through the thick catalogue for over an hour before Ray pointed out some compact communicators operatives in military organizations used, the four pages dedicated to the items. Ray and Stephen chose wristband that acted as watched, compasses, and wrist communicators, just to be safe. 

Lamont thought the earpiece device would be hidden better and Angel agreed, not wanting to put something on her skin that would ruin her skin with mish marks and hinder her fighting. Stephen told them he was paying for it with what he had been saving for tuition, since his entire college education had been paid for thanks to the cook-off contest winnings. The things would only cost about $450 for a set of two, so Stephen told Ray to order five sets.

_"Why five? There's only four of us, Stephen." Ray had asked, his eyes still set on the catalogue item. _

Stephen shook his head slightly and rolled his eyes as if it had been the dumbest question in the universe. "The Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Earth…._Cyrus said each planet, even if the Moon doesn't count as a planet really, had a knight that lived there 10,000 years ago and I suppose they died back then too. Cyrus says the more of them we find, the easier it will be to end this mess…so I say we be as prepared as possible. This won't set the money I have back very much_. _The school I chose isn't cheap_…._so I have plenty of money to spend. If it'll make this profession go away_…._I'd sell my damn soul. Now order those wristbands now, Ray. I'll give you a money order check at the arcade so you can pay for it tomorrow. Hey, I may not like it, but I am the leader of the outfit, and what I say goes." _

Stephen had left after that and done just as he said he would the next day, and Ray was ready to mail it too. Stephen wasn't feeling much like fighting anymore or anything, he was content now with eating a lot and boobing outat the arcade with the Lady Venus game. He'd gotten very good at it, but sometimes when he played it, Cyrus could almost swear Stephen was trying to break the joystick. 

'I couldn't have waited until you were older, Stephen, Earth would have been dead by then, as you would be as well. Everything would be dead and gone. Why can't you shape up and take this more responsibly? You act more and more like that bratty sister of yours, with a cynical little mind. What will it take to wake you the hell up?' Cyrus thought harshly. 

True, the gesture to buy the wristbands to protect themselves from being attacked alone was a good one, up until he said he was only doing it so they could hurry their mission up and he could go back to being normal and lazy. He was a secret genius hiding behind a daydreaming smart-ass, looking like a ditz to the men and dreamy to the females, and not even noticing it. All he ever noticed were his needs. Other people only mattered if he was one of them. He'd never actually gone after the Dark Universe willingly or without complaining. He'd wait days after being told to check on something for Cyrus to actually do it, dragging his feet. 

Cyrus wished silently that the youth would grow up before it was too late, before he was dragged into the hurt and suffering those he couldn't save because he took so long had been in till the very end.

He felt Stephen's knuckles crack against his skull, bruising his head and making him yowl. "What was that for? Hisssss!" Cyrus attempted to yell, then noticed other people were nearby. 

"Hush, Cyrus, I said look at the limousine parade….someone important must be in town." Stephen was saying, the same dreamy look in his endless blue eyes. He almost looked gentile and passive when he stared like that, some semblance of calm. It meant he was thinking, daydreaming actually, but they were thoughts none the less. 

Cyrus followed the young man's gaze to the parade in question, fancy symbol decked flags on the ends of each limousine flapping they went along. He felt Stephen start to move again, towards a traffic cops that was a ways ahead in the street, holding back the traffic in the other lanes.

"What's going on, officer? Something important?" Stephen asked the tall, balding man casually. The man gave him a brief glance, his eyes covered by dark sunglasses, then looked back into at the idling cars he was standing in front of. 

"Don't you watch the news, kid? Princess Iona and her family are touring Japan from the kingdom of Tula, showing off their prized jewel, the Soul Crystal. They should be arriving at the airport soon, those limousines are on their way to pick them up. There is a big charity banquet on for tonight for the unveiling of the Soul Crystal at the Cherry Blossom Embassy. Anyone who's anybody will be there." The officer told him, then shooed Stephen off as some cars began honking.

Stephen walked the rest of the way to school, but as they got closer to it, Cyrus spoke up. "Why didn't you go to the airport? You heard what he said, the Soul Crystal, she could be the Earth Princess I've been searching for…." The cat began, but Stephen gave him a gentle shake. 

"I heard him, kitty, but I have school. He also said she'd be at the Cherry Blossom Embassy place to show it off. My parents have gone their for benefits….and I bet they'll be at this one too. They took me once when I was small, the security is top notch for rich folks that are there. How the hell will I get in alone, huh? My parents don't take me to those benefits anymore, they take Casey now." Stephen let out softly.

Cyrus snickered. "What, throw up on the Queen of England, Stephie-weffie?" 

He yelped as Stephen bopped him on the head. "Stuff it pussy cat or I'll stuff you. They just felt after I was old enough I'd be at all their rich friends' houses with their kids….but I didn't because most of them loved themselves too much to do anything fun. That makes me an embarrassment cause I won't kiss ass….so, no more free food and dancing for me, or listening to snobs converse. Heh, maybe at this point and time I regret it, but then I didn't. How was I to know I'd become a super hero looking for royalty and monsters. Come on now." Stephen snapped back," Either way, it'll be hard as hell to get in, if not impossible. And as always, there's nothing you can do about it....worthless ball of chattering fluff."

Cyrus laughed at that, the moon symbol on his furry forehead glowing. "Ye of very little faith. Put you hand to my moon symbol, then close your hand when you feel something."

"How will I know what to grip for?" Stephen asked, putting his hand against Cyrus' forehead. "You'll know. **_Astral Blaster!_**" Cyrus yelled, his symbol glowing brightly.

"Blaster?! Shit! Cyrus don't blow my hand off!!" Stephen yelped, not really focusing on whether anyone was round to see the display. Stephen was sure that his hand was about to be blown off from what had come out of the cat's mouth, maybe a laser or something, but it never came. Only the flash of light that made his palm very warm, then something cold and round touched his skin. He gripped and took his hand off of Cyrus' forehead to examine what he was holding. 

He opened his hand to reveal a small blue marble with swirls of white and green all over it, like mists. "Looks like a model of the earth that got screwed up. You sneeze this thing out of your head or what? How is this thing going to help anybody?" Stephen said sourly.

"It's a transformation sphere, merely press it to your pendant and they will join. Then say what you want to become and it will do so, the perfect disguise magic. That's how it will help, Mr. Smart Ass," Cyrus quipped, leaping from Stephen's grip, then scampered off," See you back at home….so we can prepare for a major party crashing. Contact the others about this when you get the chance, as in as soon as possible. The Dark Universe will surely act on this as well. Don't forget this time!"

"Yeah, yeah, damn cat. My great weapons against evil, a necklace and a marble, forces of evil beware. Jeez….what did I do that was worth this punishment?" Stephen grumbled, stuffing the funny marble in his pocket.

**_~ Shinjuko Airport Terminal ~_**

Gary was standing by gate 12A, his sunglasses reflecting back each face that passed him. No one really noticed him, he was content with that. A few girls came up to him and asked him who he was waiting for, if he had a girlfriend, and if he'd take his sunglasses off. Some had been so bold as try and lift them up, but he casually brushed them off, lying to them that he was waiting for his girlfriend.

He really didn't know what to tell them or why he was here. Security was bad enough already with King Velar and his daughter Iona arriving. It had only been a few minutes since their private jet had landed, but they had not yet entered the terminal. He didn't know why, he didn't really care, he just knew he had to be there to see her, Princess Iona. No one ever saw the princess since this was her first time touring with her father. 

Rumor had it that she was very private and shy, the only pictures that helped anyone get a rough idea were of her as a toddler and maybe when she was nearing her teens. She was 15 years old now according the news broadcast Gary had seen the other day. Something clicked in his head when he saw the broadcast, just strong enough to make him want to come see her arrive.

'If I only knew why….or what this is all about. The Soul Crystal….I have to see it. No one would understand this, not even that meathead Stephen. Sure he acts all ditzy and daydreams constantly, but even he knows the boundaries of reality. No need to let anyone else in on this but myself, I can take care of this alone. I just need to see it….for myself.' He thought, his head lowering a bit as some of his dark bangs fell over his eyes.

He heard walkie-talkies and shouting erupt nearby suddenly, then flashes from cameras going off near him. He looked up quickly to see them, the royal family of Tula, the princess beside her father and the poor girl being sandwiched between the king and a bodyguards that looked like Gary, just a lot older and with a massive build. 

Gary stood upright when he saw her, the plain face being checked over as well as he could manage. She had big wire rimmed glasses on that hid her eyes with the glare of the sun and the cameras going off. She looked like a short nerd, flat chested and with short auburn colored hair. She was in what looked like a school uniform, but she was pressed so tightly against her father that Gary could only see half of her.

As he went on staring, the group got closer to where he was standing, and the princess stopped, raising her head slightly. Gary got a good look at her tiny face, plain brown eyes and dimples on her cheeks, but she looked frightened. He stared back, since she was doing it too, it seemed like the thing to go with. He wasn't prepared for her to reach her hand out to him and grab his wrist, very tightly he quietly noted. Her father was eyeing this display with odd interest and the crowd of security guards forming around him and the mother and father.

"Yes, your highness?" Gary said in his soft voice, not moving but he knew the hairs on the back of his neck were all standing on end as he felt the sour breath of the security guards touch him.

"N….nothing….I just…." She said in the high-pitched voice he supposed was normal for her, but it was muted a bit, like her fear was taking over. 'Why is she afraid of me? Does she remember me….or something?' he thought, then felt his lips twitch as the girl started to let go.

"Just what?" he replied evenly, backing up, happy the security guards obliged him by moving away. 

"You look like my brother….before he died of cancer. You just….have that sort of face. Sorry to bother you." She said quietly, then went back to hiding against her father.

Gary watched her go, waiting for the cameras and crowds to get out of his face. They wouldn't oblige, so he had to get down low and crawl out of the swarm of hands and flash bulbs. He took off in a sudden run all the way out of the airport, glad to be away once his shoes touched the streets. He got outside in time to see a train of limousines drive away and a smaller train of cops on motorcycles and a lone patrol car following after.

"They'll be at the Cherry Blossom Embassy tonight for their banquet….that will give me enough time to get in there before hours….I just have to see the Soul Crystal, that's all. Missing one day of classes isn't anything compared to my sanity. Its not like anyone else will be there to rat me out….its not like anyone else will ever know." He said to himself, then bolted upright stiffly as he heard the reporters and crowds' voices getting louder. He took off down the street in the direction of the embassy, praying silently that his questions would be answered.

**_~ The Tsukikage Household ~_**

"Dear Stephen, by the time you read this, we'll have left for Princess Iona's Crystal Charity Ball with Casey. Sorry, but you should have come home earlier or you might have been able to come. Better luck next time, preferably with a better attitude. Love, Mom, Dad and Casey….P.S., your dinner is in the freezer. Try not to get smudges on the microwave this time," Stephen read aloud, Cyrus watching from the kitchen table with a look of distaste," Probably a meatloaf TV dinner again….they always leave me that, the food of losers, in my father's opinion. Please….can you believe them? Our whole family gets invited, but they conveniently take the tickets with them and run off without me….Have a little free will and you're not worth the effort to bring to anything."

Cyrus nodded. "Cruel, but also stupid, but still, you're on the guest list, so you can get in without having to wait in line. Making up some stupid name on the spot won't work in the real world, Stephen. If you're quick and smart, and act like a dignified young man, they won't boot you out on your obstinate ear Thanks to your parents, you can go as Stephen. Now you just need the look of royalty, or money. You can't go to a ball looking like a schoolboy." Cyrus said.

"So I use the mystical magical marble to make myself….presentable?! Hmm, big fat duh, Cyrus, but that thing didn't look good for anything besides a good game of marbles at the kindergarten. You sure this will get me in there and not die on me?" Stephen asked and the cat nodded. 

"It only lasts as long as you want it too, no strings attached. It can even disguise a group of people, like all of the knights touching your pendant at once and making their disguise choices. It's a fairly simple illusionary power, fueled by your own powers and bodies. No dying unless you actually croak yourself," Cyrus explained, standing up on all fours with a determined look in his eyes," Now time for a change. Activate the Transformation Sphere now….the ball starts in a half an hour. Chop-chop!"

"Oh cork it. I'm doing it, all right? Quit whining," Stephen said, pulling the odd marble out of his pocket," This is silly, but fine. The pendant worked, how bad could this be?"

He pulled his pendant out and touched the marble to it, making them glow silver and blue for a few seconds before they merged, the sword in the pendant stabbing through the marble. "Here goes everything….Transformation Sphere, make me look like….uh, a handsome prince…. Argh! This hurts too!" Stephen said, holding the pendant high, then let go as the pain set in. It was quicker than his transformation from himself to the Moon Knight, but it still hurt like hell. 

It all happened in a flash, as if his picture was being taken from every angle. He staggered a bit, his eyes shut tight, then let them open gently. He first felt the light object over his eyes and head, much like his knight helmet felt, but lighter and it wasn't covering his entire head.

He left the kitchen quickly and went to the downstairs bathroom, flipping the light switch on quickly to look at himself in the full length mirror near the bathtub. His jaw dropped as he took a good look, vaguely noticing that Cyrus had followed him. It was a shimmering tuxedo, white as snow and tight fitting, the tux jacket stopping mid-thigh. The collar was neat as were the ice blue lined lapels and a long, white flowing cape was hanging perfectly from his back. 

His pants were the same color but he had boots on, making him looked like a cross between a prince and knight, the shiny white and silver knee-high boots buckled tightly around his calves with silver. On his head was a golden and bejeweled mask, only covering the eye section of his head. The rest of the mask was wrapped about his white hair like a thick circlet, golden leaves decked about it. He didn't know whether he should start a singing act or go fight a dragon.

"This is….a bit much. I look like a freaked out rock star!" Stephen exclaimed, but Cyrus didn't laugh. 

"It's from your mind and the transformation bubble. Don't be so picky….now let's get going. We're already late for the ball." Cyrus nagged.

"Yeah. I'm sure Prince Charming and Cinderella will be really disappointed." Stephen replied as he strode past the cat. 

"Now you're being cynical….hey, wait up!" Cyrus shouted, chasing his young friend out the door.

**_~ The Cherry Blossom Embassy ~_**

("The Sakura Embassy" in Japanime)

Stephen stood in line, feeling terribly restrained and funny in his disguise, but everyone that was near him or passed by the line commented on the "handsome prince in white." He was too stunned that people didn't think he was weird dressed so ridiculously to laugh when they said it. He just kept his eyes trained forward and stepped up accordingly in the guests' line, only a ways from the civilian line that was longer than all of Tokyo. 

Stephen chances a glance at it and regretted it instantly. Angela Furosuto was the first thing that came into his sights, and he winced when she felt his gaze and looked at him dead on.

At first she looked angry, but then the young men behind her, the all too familiar Lamont and Ray, were tapping on her shoulder and whispering. She balked and stared at Stephen again. 

'Damn, those big mouths. I might have been able to avoid her all night if she didn't know who I was. Never should have told her anything….lovesick loony.' He thought, turning away as Angela waved at him and started blowing kisses.

Stephen was very happy when he got top the front of the line a few minutes later and his friends' line hadn't moved a breath. "Name, sir? You have to be on the list to get inside." A bald man said. He was wear a black vest and red bow tie over his white ruffled shirt. He had on black pants as well, just standing there behind the desk with a pen and fancy booklet with named in them.

"Stephen Tsukikage…my family is already inside. I know I'm on the list, now stop bothering me and let me through." Stephen said sharply, getting a look of distaste from the man as he flipped to the "T" section. He crossed off Stephen's name and nodded to the security guards by the door to let him in. "He's on the list….next." the man said as Stephen passed through the door, not noticing a small black cat was skulking in an even pace under Stephen's cape.

~

Stephen was enchanted at first, this ball being like no other he'd been brought to as a child. At those times he had been near the children of all the other rich people in a private room, where Casey was most probably playing in with the new generation of snobs and brats. He'd only seen the main room a few times, but he'd been a lot shorter then and more trusting, not mention obediently stupid. 

Now seeing it he was jealous of his parents. The room was about as big as his school's gym and a million times more fancy than any palace he saw in the movies. It was decked with beautiful pink marble floors and white pillars all around. There was a lovely sky-scape painted on the ceiling, doves painted in to appear to be flying. Candles were on every table and a large chandelier hung down from the ceiling painting, glittering its golden crystals down upon the guests as they talked and danced.

The next thing he noticed was that everyone else was wearing a mask, some bigger than their heads and other too small, others very plain and the rest like his, fancy and decorative. Many of the younger women at the party chanced him a glance, his alluring outfit and his unique hair making him stand out. He frowned suddenly as he thought about that. 

'I'm the only one here with white hair and this young….my parents will find me and then I'll be dead, princess or no princess. I'll be grounded for not staying home. Dammit….and speak of the devil.' He thought, his mother and father's forms coming into view as they sloshed through the crowds.

He backed up and hid behind a pillar before they could reach him, relieved they hadn't noticed him. He could see his mother was stained with red liquid, wine he supposed and his father was dragging his weeping mother out of there screaming lawsuit at an older man. 

'Probably bumped into the guy and he spilled it all over her. Dad's annoyed she made him look bad in front of all their friends so they're going home so it won't be a long memory. Good thing I locked my room up tight….or they'd figure out I'm not in it and the fact that I stopped locking my window or it'd be hell trying to sneak back in.' he thought, watching his parents leave.

Stephen stepped out again and went past the group of masked guests, past the open balcony that no one seemed to be guarding. "This is not the time to socialize, Stephen, start looking for the princess." Cyrus voice climbed up to him, the cat's words a bit muffled as he was holding part of Stephen's cloak in his tiny mouth, to keep it covering him. 

"I'm glad no one looks at their feet much around here….this'd be ridiculous if anyone really saw you….I'm going….the bathroom excuse is always a good one if a guard sees me and I am on the guest list. Lovely, lovely….then I can get my hands on all that food. Heh." Stephen chuckled lightly, passing through another hallway to begin his search.

~

Lady Glamour stood in a darkened hallway, her armor and boot not in place. She had traded them off for her infiltration of the embassy for just high heels and a lovely black dress, only one slit down the left side of it to reveal her creamy colored leg. The white mask she wore had been on ever since she arrived, knowing full well it was a costume party from an invitation she pilfered from an unsuspecting couple, an older man, maybe a psychiatrist or a lawyer, and his wife. He had been chatting her up the entire time in front of his wife, drunken very quickly. His wife was so angry with him she never noticed the young woman grab her invitation out of her purse.

She made a lame excuse about having to powder her nose, grimacing slightly as she heard the wife yelling at her husband and telling him she was taking his drunk ass home. He had protested, but then she reminded him that her family was rich….not him. 

'A wanna-be….must be wonderful to have all that money and power and waste it so blatantly with idle threats.' She had thought, then started searching the embassy more thoroughly. She found the princess' room an hour later, but the only problem, or problems, were the four royal guards standing outside her door. 

'No way I can get in there without injuring them or creating a ruckus….if she is the true Earth princess, I won't know it until I see her with the Soul Crystal. I pray this is not a false lead….I can't stand not knowing who I really am. I need to know…to know why I am Lady Glamour, where these powers came from, everything. Then I can rest at last, true peace. I hope.' She thought, the guards dry conversation stopping suddenly with a sharp," HALT! What are you doing here?"

She waited, daring a bit to peer around the hallway she was in to the one the guards were in. Her very breath left her at the sight of the young, elegantly dressed young man half facing the guards. "Bathroom….I can't seem to find it. Where am I in this place?" said the soft, devil may care voice, almost like liquid velvet pouring out onto her soul. He was dressed from head to toe in white, the golden mask that topped his white-hair and the silver buckles on his knee high boots glittering at her in the light.

The guard to his far left never wavered, but answered in a kind tone. "This is where Princess Iona is staying….please, the bathrooms are down that hallway….all the way at the end to your left. Can't miss it….and try to be more careful where you venture. Not everyone is as nice as we are when people say they have wandered here." The man said, pointed down the hallway Glamour was staring slightly into.

She was relieved she was in the right section of the hallway, but moved further back into it as the young man made a quick nod and turned. She caught a brief glimpse of his delicate face, the mask covering his eyes with gold and jewels, but she could see how perfectly his clothing fit on his body, lean and slender, like a real prince, and very familiar to her. She watched him pass by her hallway, his pace even and calm with his cape billowing slightly behind him, but the bottom of it seemed to be snagged on itself. She couldn't really tell….nor did she care, she looked more at his masked face than anything else.

"He looks….like the man in my dreams….the one that calls out to me….for the crystal….could it be him?' she thought, the dark silhouetted figure, standing at the top of a set of sparkling stone steps before a large and glittering palace. He always reached out to her in the dreams, which had been coming more often, like her nightmares had before it. 

'_You must gain the Soul Crystal_…._only then can we be free. Free me._' The young man's voice echoed in her mind, playing over an over. The shadow was decked in fine clothing and had a long flowing cape, a sparkling moon symbol on his forehead that shined ever so brightly, but never revealed his true face to her. 

Her thoughts were jarred from her as she heard another voice, sweet and honeyed, a woman. By the time Glamour managed to peer back into the hallway, the princess' door was closing, the woman already gone from her sights. 

'I have time," she thought, walking quietly down her hall to get back to the ballroom," Perhaps that young man….is the one….could he be….the man from my dreams? Argh, the princess is being guarded and the Soul Crystal is with her. They can wait a little while….just a little.' She thought, breaking into a jog as she cleared the hallway.

**_~ The Princess's Chambers ~_**

Princess Iona cried until her nose was numb with sniffling. She stared at her face at her fancy dresser mirror, her mirror image looking pathetically back at her. "Oh, why can't I be pretty. If I didn't need these stupid glasses to see, I could be very pretty….just like Mama used to be. Oh, I don't want to be part of the tour….I just want to stay in the palace and hide. I get stage fright….now Daddy expects me to go out there and introduce our family treasure….and I know I'll faint or screw it up….the kingdom will be mortified. Oh, where is that look-alike I ordered on the plane? She should be here by now." She wept, rubbing his rosy little nose with a new tissue.

She jumped up a foot from her chair as the door opened, then relaxed as a young woman with long dark hair entered her room. "Are you from the look-alike agency?" she asked quietly, standing up slightly with a queer look on her face. This girl wasn't busty or anything, her hair limp on her back and she was dressed in a lovely little pink gown, just like she was. 

"Yup….I already have everything planned to pull this off. You have nothing to worry about. This will all go off without a hitch." The girl said, walking closer towards the Princess. Iona backed away from her, suddenly taking in the changes the girl was making in herself. The princess blinked for a moment and it happened, the flat, plain looking girl was now a busty, leather clad woman, eyes of purest midnight glowering at her with a malicious smile on her lips.

"Darling child….I guarantee it. **_Dark Angel_**...._infect_!" the woman murmured, her body going aglow with black and purple energy. Iona turned to run, but she felt a sharp stabbing pain in her back as she did, the energy taking her over. Iona wept inside as the darkness surround her soul.

Raven watched the young princess become infected with her darkness, grinning widely as the princess turned about, her complexion gone purple and dark swirls of mist following her feet. "I don't do chicks, Princess….not like I do boys. Be happy, my minion. You are about to bring the Soul Crystal into the glorious hands of the Great Lord Specter. The Dark Universe will reward you, little princess, by making your pretty soul a part of the Dark Goddess. But you, dark shade that infects the living, you will be adored for all times in the beautiful body I will give you once you accomplish this task. Understood?" Raven told the grinning possessed princess. She nodded rapidly, a maniacal grin on her face, twitching every few seconds. 

"Yes oh glorious mistress. I'll do anything for the Dark Goddess and Specter's supreme reign over the pitiful humans." The girl bubbled out, her female voice trying to sound male, and succeeding in making her voice resemble croaking.

Raven smiled anyway. "Good, now get the Soul Crystal and take it to the ballroom….take the energy of those who try to get in your way….kill if you have to, ruin this girl's entire life….I don't care. Just get the crystal to the balcony and I will be waiting below for you….for victory. Do not fail me!" Raven told her, then in a flurry of raven feathers, she vanished.

"Yes, kill them all. Ah hahahahahahaaaaaa!! Kill the humans!" the princess croaked out, rushing out her door for her father's room, where the Soul Crystal was kept in his safe. "Killlllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!" she screamed all the way down the hall, the guards too taken aback by her actions to pursue. 

**__**

~ Ballroom ~

Stephen had left Cyrus in the bathroom, tied of being dragged down by the cat holding onto his cape. Having a pet in the place would get him thrown out and neither of them wanted that. Cyrus reluctantly agreed to search on his own for the crystal and any possible Dark Universe goons that might be walking around. 

Stephen lied and said he'd try and get back to the princess' room, but instead he walked back into the ballroom and started eating. He wiped off his hands with a lot of napkins once he felt he was full enough, or rather when he got sick of people gawking at him wolfing down whatever food he touched.

Right now he was just leaning against a pillar, bored out of his mind. He was watching the dance floor and the couples moving across it evenly. Dance classes had been a pain when his mother signed him up for it, so he'd have poise and be able to impress pretty girls she planned to get him close to. He had learned well, but purposely stepped on the feet of the bimbos and snobs that his mother tried to fling at him when he hit puberty. 

She took him out of the class after he'd ruined three blind dates and two social ones, girls he knew from parties he was invited to, parties his parents' friends threw for their daughters and sons.

'Dull….I'm so damn bored….I can't eat all night….not that eating is a terrible thing. Far from it….its just….God, when is that stupid princess going to rear her damn head out here so I can see the crystal and her together. What is she doing….polishing the damn thing 5,000 times? Come on….I don't know anyone here….I can't dance with a stranger….any of these ladies might get the wrong ideas about my intentions.' He thought, not hearing the light tapping of footsteps approaching him, his eyes too fixated on his own feet to see anyone.

"Excuse me, may I have this dance, sir?" said a honey sweet voice, jarring Stephen's thoughts from his mind, making his breaths become sharp and gentle as he looked up slowly. 

He saw a black dress first and two precious feet encased in black high heels. He worked his way up the perfectly fit dress, past the hint of a bare leg on the woman's left side, up her perfectly curved body all the way up to her face, the white mask shimmering at him. 'Glamour….its….its really her!'

"Sure….Miss." he said languidly, taking her hands in his deftly, and they led each other to the dance floor. Stephen put once hand around her waist and took her right hand in his left to hold it up level with their heads. They began to dance, closely and smiling at each other, the others in the room seeming to disappear from Stephen's mind as the dance went on. 

All he could do was smile at her beautiful face, his heart alive with happiness at being this close to the woman he was so deeply in love with. She was smiling right back at him, which made him even happier. He wondered if she recognized him with the mask on….it was similar enough to his Moon Knight mask, the tux he was wearing close in color to his armor. The only thing different about her was she lacked her armor and armored boots. 

Either way, she looked like a radiant angel to him, her face so close. He felt her sweet breath touching his smiling lips gently as they twirled along the dance floor, their motion so fluid and regal he felt like he was a prince and she was his princess, dancing their lives away in a fairy tale. 

'Me a prince? Won't she be disappointed….well, if she ever finds out I'm only in junior high school and live with my parents….oh shut up, Stephen. You're in each others' arms, dancing….enjoy it while it lasts. That killjoy cat Cyrus should return soon and catch you eventually, but who cares.' He thought, flashing a full and warm grin at Glamour, leaning his face towards her. She complied, and though he couldn't tell what color her eyes were through her mask, he could see that they were closing gently as her face neared his.

The next thing he knew was that he was thrown roughly on top of her, landing on her shapely chest face first. He felt his nose start to bleed when he realized where his face was and that Glamour's mouth was wide open. "Sorry….sorry….sorry…sorry…." he sputtered out, yanking his face off of her and quickly trying to pick her up. Then he heard people screaming and thudding.

He looked towards it and saw a girl in a pink evening gown, with dark mist trailing after her, was running for the balcony. The people around her were all wrapped in dark energy for a few moments, then they dropped to the floor in heaps as the energy went into the girl. As he followed the stolen energy back to her with his shocked gaze, he saw the girl was staring at him, a girl with glasses and small tiara littered with diamonds. Her skin was purple and she was ginning like a madman. She was also holding a large, fancy box in her skinny arms, with a key in the lock.

Stephen was about step forward when he heard rapid footsteps and shouting, making him turn from the crazy purple girl. It was a hoard of guards entering the ballroom, all brandishing swords and guns. "Princess Iona, please, stop this madness! What are you doing? Stop this at once and put the Soul Crystal at once!" one of the guards shouted, all of the guards present surrounding the undaunted princess.

"Hah, you fools, ticks to the Dark Universe….you will never make me stop! DIE!!" the princess shouted, laughing maniacally as she let loose her dark energy to take their life force. Stephen and Glamour were still being ignored, just watching the princess drain her own men of life, probably because neither of them had acted against her. 

'While she's distracted….if Raven's already gotten to her, she's making her steal the Soul Crystal. Have to stop her while she's busy with them.' He thought, charging for the princess from the side. The possessed girl didn't notice him until he rammed his body into her, making her teeter but she didn't fall over. She took a swing with dark energy at him, but he duck and scooted behind her, leaping on her back and covering her eyes. 

She dropped the box and started to claw at him, backing up the entire time out onto the balcony. Stephen was busy bobbing his head away from her fingernails to avoid being clawed. His eyes set down upon his wrist communicator for a moment, wishing he'd called ahead instead of being so impulsive. 

'This is getting to be a bad habit. I hope the catalogue was right about it being able to take tons of pressure underwater. Hope that counts if it gets abused.' He thought, and gave the princess a good whack with it, hard. She screeched as the hit connected, but got a good grip of his wrist as the communicator started to beep madly. 

"Don't fuck with the Dark Universe, little boy….you'll only get destroyed. Now you die!!" the princess cackled, tearing him off her back with a hard yank and swung him upwards before tossing him over her shoulders. Stephen wouldn't have minded this if he'd been tossed back towards the ballroom, on something solid even, but the princess had tossed him away from it, over the balcony.

He let out a hoarse shout as he went over, managing to clamp one hand on the balcony. It wasn't good enough, if he'd jumped in his armor, it would have been a different story, but he wasn't in his armor, he was defenseless and handing by a thread with a possessed princess glowering at him from above. His heart sank as she raised her fists over her head, right in line with his hand.

"Get away from him!" a female voice shouted, the princess being yanked back violently by her hair, disappearing from Stephen's view. His grip failed after that, his body falling from the high balcony. Stephen jerked in mid-air, so suddenly he stopped to wonder if he'd hit the ground. He looked down dumbly to see he was wrong, he was still in the air and something warm and smooth clutching his hand. 

He looked back up to be welcomed by Glamour's worried face, both of her hands wrapped about his one, holding it tightly and trying to pull him back up. "Thanks…ugh….don't let me fall….Oh…." he was muttering, the strain of holding on getting to his muscles. He began to sweat as his hand slipped a little from hers. 

"Hang on….I'll save you. OH! OW! NO!" she began quietly, then started yelling. Stephen could see why, Princess Iona was bashing Glamour in the back and arms with the box she had been holding earlier. Stephen felt blood splash on his mouth when Iona smacked Glamour with one of the pointed corners against her upper arm, making a bloody gash. Still, Glamour wouldn't let go. Instead she started to sink over the side too. Iona only grinned. She stopped hitting Glamour and started pushing at her from behind, laughing like crazy as Stephen felt their bodies start to move further down.

"**_Ice Slash!_**" he heard a girl shout, a girl he knew, Angela Furosuto. He saw the ice daggers fly over his head and past Glamour into the princess' chest, bursting with energy enough to knock the princess away. Glamour took the opportunity to pull Stephen back to safety, glaring at Mercury as she shouted from below.

"You bitch! Time to die! And you're little waif boyfriend too!" the princess shrieked, charging at the pair with the box. Glamour, bleeding from both arms now, rushed at the princess, slamming her knee into the possessed girl's gut, then grabbed her by her hair. Glamour threw the girl with all her might over the balcony, rushing after her.

"**_Dark Armor Rise_**!" she shouted, her onyx armor and boot appearing upon her body as she reached the edge of the balcony, leaping off it after the princess. The princess was surprisingly unharmed, just floating a few feet above the ground looking as insane as ever. "Time to transform…can't let her escape with all of their lives." Stephen told himself, grabbing at his pendant," **_Moon Sword, Transform_**!!" 

~

Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Glamour all stood around Princess Iona, three swords and pole-arm aimed at her. Glamour took note that a voice was shouting commands, but it wasn't any of the young knights. It was coming from elsewhere, but she really didn't care. "Don't kill her, she's not fully possessed….the energy wasn't meant for her, she's just a pawn!" the voice was shouting, Mercury seeming to find the voice highly annoying by sticking her tongue out. 

"She killed everyone in there….I know she did, I heard the screams. She nearly killed….that young man too. She has to pay." Mercury yelled, slashing her sword in front of her.

Glamour barely flinched as Iona let out a burst of dark power fly from her chest, knocking Mercury flat on her back, several feet from where she'd been standing. "That was mature….why not all of you attack at once? Moon Knight is the only one that can free the trapped Princess. All we can hope to accomplish is irritating her. Where is Moon Knight!?" Glamour shouted at them, catching them off guard with her sudden leadership of the group. 

Jupiter didn't look like he minded the plan and nor did Mars, but mercury stared at her with daggers in her eyes, hate being all this knight ever seemed to show for her. 

'Because Moon Knight loves me….if he only knew what I must do to protect myself….would he…would anyone love me? Who cares what she thinks….this is my chance to get the Soul Crystal….Iona or not.' Glamour thought, turning her gaze back towards the princess.

"I'm here!" Moon Knight shouted, running out of the building behind them, his sword out and ready for a fight. Iona sensed it too and fired a ball of dark energy out at him from her chest. Glamour rushed her and yelled," Now, attack her now!!"

Jupiter went first, smashing the blunt end of his pole-arm against the back of Iona's head. Mars came next, running and then turning it into a jumping kick and round house attack when he reached the princess. Mercury rammed her head into the girl's stomach as Glamour slammed the hilt of her sword against Iona's face.

"Now Moon Knight, free her now!!" Glamour shouted, rolling away from the angered and battered princess with the others. "You got it. **_Celestial Healing Light!!_**" Moon Knight shouted as he raised his sword up to the brilliant night sky. The sword glowed white, letting the gentle swirls of petal-like flurries come out from within the blade The glittery white petals flew swiftly into Princess Iona, light shooting out from every inch of her small body as they touched her. 

She let out a shrill scream that lasted a few moments, then her body fell to the ground in an less than flattering heap, her dress over her head to show everyone she was wearing polka-dot underwear. The knights al smirked a moment, except Glamour and Moon who were looking at the ghostly mass floating above the girl's body, its deep center black as pitch with glowing purple eyes looking at them wickedly. It was like living black fire, and it was laughing at them, but not moving.

"What the hell is that? Is that….Raven's soul? Her evil?" Mercury was saying, but Glamour shook her head. 

"No….it is one of her minions, Dark Angel, the instigator of ruin and despair. He lacks a male body, so he can't move….not unless Raven comes back for him. He's failed to get the Soul Crystal for her so I doubt she will aid this miserable sack of slime. We best destroy him before Iona wakes up….he could repossess her if that happens!" the voice shouted again, Glamour looking about to try and locate it, but it was in vain. The voice sounded like it knew what it was talking about and sounded very insistent about it.

"You're the boss, not that I like this arrangement. Everyone, combine your powers! You too, Glamour! **_Celestial Beam!_**" Moon Knight commanded, slashing his sword at the enemy, his lunar beam shooting from the blade.

"Right!" the other knights said in unison. 

"**_Ice Slash!_**"

"**_Raging Hell Fire!_**"

"**_Spiral Shocker!_**"

"**_Crystal Cutter!!_**"

All of the attacks went off and joined with Moon Knights, becoming a great flaming, crackling and glittering celestial lance that crashed into Dark Angel's ghostly form like a tidal wave of energy. Dark Angel screamed in a male voice, not the croaking he'd been doing in Iona's body, as the attacks ripped his very form apart, vaporizing him in a long, agonizing death. When the light of the attacks died away, Dark Angel was no more, only the clean night air remaining.

Glamour stared at the other knights as they rushed to the princess' aid, pulling her dress back down. 'We are all known on TV as heroes, but there are still the tabloids….a picture of them with the princess in that position could make our being taken seriously go right down the toilet. Lord knows I'd rather not hear about it either….' She thought, then felt someone shove her from the back. 

"What the hell did you think you were doing, you bitch? You could have cost everyone their lives when you threw the princess off the balcony. She could have killed that guy too, you were so busy hogging all the glory." Mercury spouted, her words laced with absolute hatred. 

"You're not my mother. Excuse me." Glamour said, blowing Mercury off with a curt wave of her hand," And maybe you should watch where you're aiming. Your attack on the balcony could have killed both the princess and myself, you're lucky Dark Angel healed her or she'd be dead right now. You're lucky your aim is terrible….or I might have joined her in death." 

Mercury didn't seem to change her expression, glancing slightly at the wound she'd given Glamour's right arm, which was still bleeding, unlike the wounds that Iona had given her. 

"What is your stake in this anyway? Moon Knight wasn't in trouble this time." Mercury said, a bit too quickly. Glamour turned her back to Mercury, looking at the fallen princess and the knights trying to slap her awake, Jupiter was anyway. Moon was by the bushes trying to pull something out of them, yelling at the bushes at the same time.

"I have to find out who I really am, and I need the Soul Crystal and the Earth and Moon royalty to do so. I don't care what I have to do to get it, just don't mess things up for me with your petty emotions." Glamour hissed, running off and leaping over the embassy wall in the blink of an eye. 

Mercury just grumbled and walked over to her partners, Moon Knight finally with them holding onto Cyrus who had a cute little white kitten latched onto his tail by the mouth. Moon shrugged and tugged at the kitten a few more times before it let go and ran away yowling. Cyrus suckled on his sore tail as Moon set him down in front of the still sleeping princess, her glasses lying by her side.

"So….Cyrus finally knows how I feel about unwanted affection. You should know about that, Mercury," Moon snickered, kneeling behind his cat to look at the princess," She's kind of cute without her glasses on….bruised, but cute. Feel anything Cyrus….hey Jupiter, stop smacking her!"

Jupiter stopped, Mars chuckled lightly as he let the sleeping princess rest against his own body, and shook her gently. Moon put his hands under her small and gave her a pinch, then a light shaking. She began to rouse, the words coming out all mumbled and sleepy.

~

"Wha….where am I? Oh…." Princess Iona said, her eyes not focusing that well. She saw blurs of white and silver in her sights, voices clamoring around her and felt that she was leaning on something solid and cool. "My glasses….I can't see without my glasses….Oh dear." She whimpered.

"Are you the Earth Princess, please I must know." said a male voice. Iona felt around and then felt a hand put her glasses in her right hand. She put them on and held her breath. Two beautiful male knights were kneeling in front of her, the silver one like a beacon of light beside the green one. She looked back as saw one in red and black armor smiling warming at her, holding her. There was female in armor as well and skirt holding a brilliant sword. She didn't look anything but curious to Iona.

"Am I dreaming?" she said stupidly.

"Please, miss, are you the Earth Princess?" the voice from before said. It wasn't coming from the knights around, but rather lower than them. She looked down and saw black cat with a crescent moon on its forehead, the shape glowing a gentle gold. She stared at it, not really understanding what was happening until the cat talked. "Are you the Earth Princess?" it asked.

"Oh my God! A talking CAT!! Ohhhhhh…." She swooned, and fainted into the dark knight's arms again.

~

"Damn….she's not the Earth Princess. The true princess would have been expecting me….and given a better reaction. No….this isn't the girl we need to be looking for. Perhaps the Soul Crystal will prove more fruitful." Cyrus sighed, shaking his dark head. 

"Yeah….should of thought about that before you scared her to death," Moon muttered, shooing the cat away," Come on, everyone, time to power down and get back inside. Iona still has to show off the family jewels….let's get her up there." Moon said, changing back into his disguised form of a handsome prince before them. Mars handed the princess off to him as he and the other went back into their formal attire and followed their leader back into the embassy.

**_~ The Ballroom ~_**

"Being in our family for hundreds of years, the Soul Crystal is both an inspiration to our family name and the world for spiritual and artistic reasons. The angel goddess created in this statue was made my ancestor, long before we became a royal family, a mere jeweler who made this for the love of a princess he never thought he could be loved by. They married and the Soul Crystal remained in the family ever since as sign of the power of true love." Princess Iona told the captivated crowd of rich people. She was a little happier now, smiling even, as she held in her hand the fist sized diamond statue of a female angel encrusted in sapphires, rubies, gold, and emeralds. It was breathtaking, magnificent, priceless…..

"It's not the Soul Crystal we want." Cyrus grumbled from under the food table, where Stephen was standing, looking at the statue himself. His friends were littered about the area, looking to Stephen every minute or so. When he shook his head, their faces fell and then they shrugged, moving back into the crowds towards their leader. 

He sighed, though the mission had been a waste of effort and power, it hadn't been a waste of his time. Glamour had made it all worth tolerating, worth remembering fondly.

"Let's leave….our work here is done." Cyrus said, but Stephen kicked the cat back under the table.

"Just five more minutes….this is probably the last time I'll ever get free food and relaxation. Huh….?" He began, then felt a light breeze pas him by. He turned quickly, his heart leaping up his throat when he saw Glamour disappearing out on the balcony.

He moved quickly to get to the balcony, but by the time he got there, she was gone. He was about to go back inside when he spied something laid out on the ledge, something red. He walked up slowly towards it, finding it to be a red rose, a few droplets of water on the petals, the long perfect green stem looking like it was made of emerald. He picked it up, looking it over a moment before touching the cool petals with his fingertips. Then, he smiled and kissed it gently, the pale moonlight shining down on him as his cape billowed gracefully in the wind.

If he'd bothered to look up, he would have seen Glamour staring down at him from the rooftop with a soft smile on her lips. "So handsome, and kind….who are you?" she whispered ever so quietly

**_~ Raven's Grotto ~_**

"Damn those knights….I don't even go after the pretty ones this time and they screw everything up….ugh, no matter, that Soul Crystal wasn't the right one….Dark Angel was wasted on a pointless venture." Raven grumbled, pacing in her dark grove angrily. 

"You'll do fine….your trump cards await you. You'll do just fine." Said a simple male voice, Mark's voice. 

Raven smiled at the portly boy, he'd been a very amusing toy, mindless thanks to her kiss, but none the less amusing. He took all her abuses pretty well, always encouraging her with "You'll do fine," the only phrase he could actually form most often or the things she'd tell him to say. He was like a lost puppy to her, not as beautiful as most of her "trump cards," so abusing him and making him do whatever she wanted didn't bother her so much. It was worth it, the knights were giving her a lot of frustrations, so he was always there for her to beat on.

She smacked him in the face and he just stood there, too blank in the head now to register that he was feeling pain. 

"Yes, my little pet, yes. Now why don't you got bash your skull against that rock until its covered in blood. I like a little decoration….before I do it. You'll get your reward once that's all done, Mark. Do it for your master!" she cackled, shoving him towards the rock she was referring to. Mark did so, bloodying himself and the rock with each blow.

"So easy to manipulate….and soon, very soon Galaxy Knights, you will be my puppets of hell forever!! Ahaahahahaaaaaaaa!!!!" she laughed, Mark's blood drooling all over the rock as he went on bashing his head into it.


	13. Ch 13Adieu! Raven's Last Stand

Chapter 13 **__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the** "Sailor Moon" **series. This goes along the lines of the original series, but an alternate dimension. Trust me, eventually, my knight will meet the scouts. Patience is a virtue, so awaiting that moment won't be so bad. REVIEW!!

****

Chapter 13

__

Adieu! Raven's Last Stand

~ Abandoned Warehouse ~

"Deck the walls with boughs of entrails….ya….da….da….daaaa, ya….da…. da….DAAH!" Raven was singing off-key, throwing some fresh intestines and shredded guts from her sharp fingernails at the dingy walls. Mark was standing near a pile of something at the moment, a mass of red pulp, all guts and entrails. When Raven looked at him, he'd grab at the bloody pile and throw it to her. It had been like this for a few hours, Raven enjoying every solitary moment of the bloody decoration. She was even going so far as to lick the blood off her fingers or rubbing it on her own body to tell Mark to lick it off.

'I love humans….they are so easy to control….Hah, those Galaxy Knights don't stand a chance against my house of horrors. Once the pile it gone, I can start setting up all my toys….Oh Xeno, you'd be so proud of the slaughter….the delicious ecstasy of it all, makes me hot all over, yeah.' She thought, touching herself in sexual ways, Mark not even reacting. He was still as mindless as ever, watching and waiting obediently like trained pooch.

"Mark….I won't need you right now, I need you to start the plan….lure the beautiful white one to the arcade with his friends, life or death matter must be stressed….and secrecy. Understood?" she told him, getting another mess of sloshing intestines tossed into her grip.

"Yes, Mistress. It will be done." He told her, walking towards the exit. "Try to bring that boy from the arcade with the delightful sunglasses as well. Get them back here by sundown. Then the games can begin….my precious slave." She called out, smacking the intestines wetly against a window.

"Yes, Mistress." Mark said quietly, a smile on his face as he left the warehouse and headed for Stephen's house in the blue of night.

**_~ The Tsukikage Household ~_**

"You're being lazy again, Stephen."

"Shut up….I'm trying to read."

"Lazy brat…."

"Shove it up your hole, pussy cat."

"Rude, lazy brat…."

"Do you want to know how being hung feels?"

"Nasty, rude, and lazy brat…."

"You're just going to keep adding words onto 'brat,' aren't you, Cyrus?"

Cyrus gave Stephen a smug look, Stephen giving him a dirty look and shoving his attentions back into the book he was reading for relaxation. He hated Cyrus more and more the longer he was around the talking cat, his high and mighty know-it-all attitude made Stephen seriously ill. He was just a teenager, not a super hero type. 

He had been playing it by ear the entire time and didn't like fighting anymore. It just seemed like it wasn't doing them any good, more Dark Universe warriors and royalty would probably be brought against them, Cyrus had said there were plenty of them. Stephen was starting to feel like he wasn't really doing anything but antagonizing more violent repercussions. Not that he found the Dark Universe being very serious with their latest general to take down Earth, the sadistic princess Raven. 

She was always showing up where Stephen and Lamont were, screwing herself up by sending others, just like Viper had, to do her dirty work. "Why can't they just flat out come at us so we can know more about our enemy this time, not rely on luck and bothering Lady Glamour for help when things get rough. Why can't things be a bit less….God, time consuming.' He thought, yelping and kicking out when Cyrus scratched his leg.

"You're being a pain again, cat. Its practically midnight….let me catch up on my reading before I pass out," Stephen griped, smacking Cyrus away before rubbing his leg," You tore my jeans. I've had these for a good three years and you rip them. Cyrus, I'm not a super psychic evil detector! I can't go outside every damn night because you say so. Stop bothering me….huh?" 

Cyrus looked braced for a kick, but Stephen looked past him, towards the 'tinking' noise coming from his window. He waited a moment, staring, and it came again, from a small pebble being pelted at his window. 'Can't be Angie, she'd throw something bigger…..wonder who's doing that. Lamont maybe….' He thought, getting off of his bed to approach the window. As he opened the window and peered down he got hit with a small rock in the center of his forehead.

"Yow!" Stephen yelped, nearly falling flat on his rear from the shock. The rock had fallen swiftly from his head to the ground, leaving a red welt on his forehead. Stephen rubbed it as he cautiously went back towards the window.

"Stephen, so sorry. Didn't see you till it was too late. Sorry." It was Mark voice, a bit bland at the moment, but it was still Mark….in his backyard. It had been a long time since Mark had even been near their house. Stephen was still in shock when he started staring down at him.

"Mark? What are you doing here?" Stephen asked, still rubbing the thin welt on his forehead.

"I'm in trouble, Stephen, I need your help. I can't go home or anything. I'm so scared. Please Stephen, my life depends on you being there for me….and your friends. I heard you have made some very strong friends." Mark was saying, his tone almost pleading.

'Mark is in trouble? What could he have done, he's the nicest guy in my entire class….without the quirks. It must real serious about this to ask me….and not his parents.' He thought.

"What's wrong? Tell me how we can help. I'd do anything for you man, you're my friend." Stephen called down, both hands firmly propped on the windowsill. Mark looked a bit pensive about that, glancing to his left and right a few times then behind himself before looking back up at Stephen. 

"It's complicated. I just need you to meet me at the arcade tomorrow, with your friends after school. I can't see you in school, it's too dangerous for me to be seen there. They'll get me. Please Stephen, you have to promise that it'll just be you and your friends, no one else can know where I am. Not even my parents. Please!" Mark said, practically begging as he clasped his hands together.

Stephen felt sorry for Mark from the start, and then he got angry. Someone was trying to hurt his childhood friend, his best friend before he became a Galaxy Knight. To hear this filled him with rage, he wouldn't stand for such a thing. 

"You got it, Mark, we'll help in any way we can. Don't you worry about a thing." Stephen told him, feeling better when Mark looked hopeful and smile. 

"You don't know what this means to me, Stephen. You'll never regret this. I promise," he said, then seemed to hear something," I have to go. See you at the arcade tomorrow. Don't be late."

With that, Mark ran out of the yard and soon was gone, leaving Stephen staring after him. Stephen swiftly shut the window and went for his phone. "What are you doing?" Cyrus asked, now sitting on Stephen's bed. 

"I'm calling up the knights, nitwit. He said bring my friends….and he's my friend too. I have to help him, he doesn't deserve to be afraid. He's a good guy." Stephen snapped, dialing up Ray's number.

"Hmph, if you were this enthusiastic about your destiny as a Galaxy Knight, we'd be set. You two must have been real close." Cyrus commented snidely, curling up to sleep. Stephen ignored him as Ray's sleepy voice answered the other line.

**_~ Haitsuchi's Arcade Heaven ~_**

Stephen was walking alone, thankfully. Angie had gotten the phone call last night, but she had gotten in a fight with a girl, of all people, and was being reprimanded by the principal. She would be maybe a couple minutes late at best, but Lamont had already left school before anyone else. The students always cleared a path for him, especially the girls. The guys were too scared stiff of him for decking a cop, not knowing Lamont didn't really feel very proud of that event. 

Ray, he'd just have to wait and see about Ray, he went to a private school for the military, there was no way he'd know if Ray was on his way unless he was at least 500 feet away to tell him on the wrist radio. The beeping range was practically infinite on those things, allowing the others to home in on the signal once activated. Stephen had had a miserable time fixing his after he nearly crushed it on Princess Iona's head.

Stephen sighed, content with being perfectly alone, not talking cats or crazy girls riding his ass about things he didn't want to hear about. All that matter to him right now what Mark's safety. 

When the arcade came into view he felt a little better, but as he got closer, his steps slowed and his blood ran cold. 'Blood….and broken glass….Mark? Did whoever's after him found him? Oh God no!' Stephen's mind screamed. He got down on his hands and knees, ignoring the glass he would scrape against and the blood puddles he'd wade through. He kept his icy blue eyes trained on the shattered door, blood and torn clothing hanging on it.

He angled his head in slightly, nearly retching at the sight within the arcade. The games, all neat and tidy in their places, were stained with bodies and blood. Torn sinew littered the café with severed heads leaking out spurts of puss and eyeball socket meat. The eyes were crammed inside the bubble gum and candy machines. A shadow moved behind one of the games, but then it disappeared, the wet sound of footsteps in blood. All Stephen could do was stare and shiver. 

'The place is a slaughter house….who the hell did this insanity….wait….this all looks recent, the blood is still flowing from the bodies. This must've happened several minutes ago. How could they kill all of those people so fast?' he thought, an involuntary shudder running down his spine.

"Stephen….Stephen, help me….Stephen…." said a weak voice, a bit bubbly too, like water was the person's mouth. 'Or blood….that's Mark's voice. I have to go in there….to check for survivors. I'll transform if Mr. Psycho shows up and tries to fillet me too.' He told himself, creeping as quietly as he could through the shattered door and into the arcade littered with gore. 

"I must be insane to do this alone. I should at least wait for the others….why am I doing such a stupid and foolhardy thing? Ah, friendship….good enough reason to get my butt knifed to death." He whispered, getting up to walk in a low crouch. 

The metallic smell of the blood was getting to him. He's never smelled so much in one place. His stomach kept telling him to chunk his lunch and breakfast all over the floor, but his mind willed it away. The carnage was too much to handle, even for him. He'd killed monsters and seen his own body burned, bashed and cut by them in turn, but this was downright eerie. It was if the killer had a sick sense of humor. A head stuck in the CD jukebox with CD's jammed in its eyes, mouth and ears and then there were the entrails he could now see spinning within and over the rim of the vomiting blender. 

'I'll never have another milk shake in my lifetime again. That sickola….Oh man, look at this.' He thought banefully. 

The counter, littered with heads missing their eyes had candy pieces shoved where the eyes should have been, still leaking out a yellowish red mix of pus and blood. Stephen made a groaning sound as he looked away from it, only to get a full view of headless corpses lined up in the booth with utensils jammed in their chests. 

"This is gross….thank God Alan isn't among them. He always wears that dirty apron and the same shirt to work. I don't see his body. He might be all right….Oh no, Gary. Gary was going to be here….No, I didn't see his body either, calm down, Stephen, calm down. Their bodies and Mark's aren't among these. Calm yourself and look for them….and above all don't touch anything or they'll think you did this." He whispered to himself, steeling himself as he moved from booth to booth to look for the three young men.

~

Ray and Angela were practically running like mad men to get to the arcade, but they knew they were at least five blocks away. Ray had been kept after to discuss college futures with his commander and Angela got detention. Lamont had told them he had to get something from home and would take a taxi, ready to meet them a block away just to be fair. 

Ray felt terrible that he was so late, but college was important to him. If he did well he'd get on a good law enforcement team and be able to do good things for good people and stop evil with the law on his side. 

'Maybe then Angie would notice me….if she wasn't so blindly in love with Stephen. He doesn't even care about her the way I do. He never would, he said so himself. Ah, keep dreaming, girls like Angie are impossible to catch with normal charms and such.' He thought, casting her a sidelong glance. 

She was truly beautiful, her hair like a river of orchids flowing through the midnight sky. She was lean, muscular, and smooth as silk in his eyes, a powerful beauty if he ever saw one. It was a shame she loved for the wrong reasons.

**__**

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Ray skidded to halt with Angie as their wrist communicators went off, Stephen's voice fizzling out of them. He sounded scared, no, downright terrified. 

"Stephen? This is Ray? What's wrong? You sound like you've seen a ghost." Ray spouted into the communicator.

"I…..ever seen….uch death. Everyone…..de….d. Dead, all of…..em. I….still looking….or ….ary, Mark, an….Al….n. Call….the police….lease, call ….em now!" said the voice, crackling in and out of both young knights hearing. When Ray tried asking Stephen to repeat himself, all he got was static, not even a single beep. 

"Our leader is in trouble again. There's a payphone at the end of the street here. I'll call and you run ahead and contact Lamont. He probably heard that too if Stephen got both of us to hear him on ours. It must be a terrible sight or something. The faster we get the cops there, the faster we can help them. Go Angie….," Ray commanded, getting a stubborn look from Angela," Stephen might die if you put yourself into bitch mode. You don't want that and neither do I, so go!"

After a slight pout, Angela ran ahead of him and disappeared down the next block, leaving Ray to run for the payphone. He could hear Angela yelling into her communicator by the time he got enough change in the phone to call for help.

~

Stephen quietly moved around the arcade, ducking behind games and pinball machines whenever he heard a noise. He actually preferred the noises to the deafening silence that seemed to suffocate the entire place. He was the only bit of life he'd found for the few minutes he'd been there, no sign of Gary or Alan, let alone his friend Mark. It was if he was the last one alive. 

He'd managed to send out a distress call to his friends, he had heard Ray's voice. The message had gotten through, that was all that really mattered. Now Stephen had to concentrate on finding his other friends before the killer in question found them or him. 

As he moved towards the back room, the boxes that lined the hallway towards it were now stained with entrails still uttering out bile and urine and slick with fresh blood. Stephen stood stock still as he took the sight in, seeing that the door had been scratched at heavily, but stood firmly at the end of the box lined hallway. A bloody trail that looked as if something had been dragged through it led to the door went from where Stephen stood to under the door. 

He stared long and hard at it, wondering what atrocities might be behind it. His friends all pinned to the wall, stripped of their dignity and insides? Maybe their heads cut off and handing from the ceiling like grotesque piñatas? 

'No, don't think about it….the door is still on its hinges, no holes. Whoever's in there might be all right. Move, Stephen, move!' he scolded himself, taking a step.

**__**

CRASH!!

Stephen let out a horrified scream when the noise reached him, vibrating in his entire body as the shock hit him. He whirled around, panting like mad, eyes wide with fear….and wanted to smack himself for being scared of the blender hitting the floor. 

"God….you're worse than a hammy actor in a horror movie. Get grip and get out of the nuts line of sight, wherever he is." He mumbled, catching his breath as he slowly turned back around. Then he stopped, hearing a soft rustling by the café. He turned back around and walked towards it, quietly and deftly, barely breathing in fear it was the killer.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Mark popped up from behind one of the bodies, soaked with blood and half-smiling. "Mark? Mark! Oh God, you're all right….I thought….hey, I looked over there. How come I didn't see you?" Stephen gasped, putting his hand to his heart. 

Mark just smiled and began to walk through the aisle in between the booths. Stephen didn't like how he was looking at him, grinning slightly and wobbling as he walked. 'Might be shock….' He thought.

"I was hiding….to wait for you. I was waiting for you, Stephen. Heh, heh." Mark said in a dreamy, sing song voice. Stephen took a step back when Mark rounded the corner, and began walking towards Stephen. Stephen's eyes widened when he saw his friend was holding a knife. 

"I was waiting for you. She said you'd come….and she wants you. She wants to make you hers." He was saying, lifting the knife up like he was a robot. Stephen held his hands up and backed away further. 

"Who's she? Mark, put the knife down….come on, stop fooling around. Please, Mark, we're friends." Stephen yelped, jumping back as the knife slashed at him. He went back so far he rammed into the Lady V video game. 

'Trapped….shit. What the hell is wrong with him?' his mind screamed as Mark got closer, the blood soaked blade reflecting in the icy depths of his eyes. 

"She wants you…. For your beauty and your power. She'll make me beautiful too once she gets you, she promised. All for Raven, for the glory of the Dark Universe, I'll bring you to her. Then we can be friends forever….the world will be ours." Mark said, chuckling. 

'Raven….she got him. God no!' Stephen thought, shutting his eyes when Mark was only a few feet away.

Then the scream came, but it wasn't his own. It's was Mark, followed by a loud shout and bodies hitting the ground. Then he felt hands touch him, a soft muffled voice reaching him at last to get his eyes open. 

"Stephen? Stephen come on, get up!" Gary said, yanking Stephen to his feet and pulling him along. By the time Stephen got his eyes to focus again, he heard a door slam and the lock being slid in place. 

Gary was slumped next to it, looking in the worst condition he'd ever seen the young man in. His hair was fine, but it was littered with blood. The rest of him was too, the blood stains a darker red on his red jacket, but his jacket was very tattered. His left sleeve was torn to shreds, and for the first time Stephen saw how slender his friend's arm was, and how bloody. There were bandages wrapped all around it. His sunglasses were cracked, but still covered his eyes, his head looking down at his blood-stained hands. He looked like he'd been through a war zone. 

Stephen crawled up to him, laying his hand on his panting face. Gary flinched and finally looked at him, giving off a sheepish smile. 

"He was going to kill you….I had to….do something. He nearly killed Alan." Gary mumbled, lifting one hand," I had to stab him. He's the one that brought that woman….who did this."

He never sounded so weak in all the time Stephen had known him. "You did the right thing. Mark isn't mark anymore….he won't be until he gets help. Alan….he hurt Alan too? Where is he, Gary?" Stephen asked, dropping his hand onto Gary's shoulder. The other young man winced, making Stephen pulled his hand back to find blood all over his hand. 

"He's laying in the bathtub. He was hurt pretty bad. I came in during that woman's rampage. She went after Alan at that point, saying she wanted me, that I was a beautiful man like the white and red-headed boy. I guess she meant you and Lamont. Last thing I remembered before I got in here was Mark guy had stabbed Alan," Gary breathed, rubbing his arm across," I bandaged him up, but he's lost a lot of blood. The phone's are dead too….I was trying to get out to use a pay phone….but then you showed up. I thought it was that woman coming back for me."

"Gary….My God, this is all my fault." Stephen mumbled, lowering his head sadly. 

"Your fault?" Gary echoed," You didn't tell that woman to kill those people and hurt Alan. She was doing it on her own….I don't even thing she was human. She just appeared behind Mark when he came in a flurry of raven feathers. Don't blame yourself….you didn't do this…..Argh, she did." 

"I didn't mean it that way. You said yourself she was after us….I feel responsible for….what's out there. There was so much blood….and gore. Just to get at us, she destroyed all of those lives." Stephen sighed, looking up pitifully at Gary. He felt Gary squeeze his hand, a weak smile crossing his face. 

"Don't beat yourself up over it, me and Alan are beat up enough already. Oh….Nearly lost my arm to that guy….with a cheese grater. I don't know what that woman is, but she really turned that Mark into a crazed killer. I know….you said he was your friend earlier….but no normal human does that to people. Not by a long shot…Ow….God, it hurts." Gary gasped, gritting his teeth as another eave of pain hit him. Stephen just nodded, smiling at his friend.

**__**

Knock! Knock!

Both young men jumped in place when the pounding erupted on the door. They looked at each for moment, then jumped again to stand when the pounding came again. Gary looked around and grabbed up a chair, wincing from the pain in his shoulder. Stephen grabbed up one too when the pounding became a ramming noise, the lock bending a bit from each hit. When the door flew open, both young men charged the screaming figure in his school uniform.

'School uniform? God, that's Lamont!' Stephen realized, but Gary didn't slamming the chair right for Lamont's shocked face. Luckily, Lamont ducked and hit the floor as Gary's chair hit the doorframe. 

"Gary! Its Lamont! Quit it! It's Lamont!" Stephen shouted, stopping Gary from swinging his fists at the startled young man. 

"Sorry….I've had a rough day." Gary said sheepishly, slumping down in his rear, tired and defeated looking. 

"Lamont? How'd you get inside? Did you see Mark?" Stephen asked his friend.

Lamont just looked like he was concentrating on breathing. "No….but there was a message painted on the Lady V game….I didn't touch anything, that place looks like a horror villain took a chainsaw to it. What the hell happened here? Gary? Stephen?" Lamont asked, his voice a little shaky. If it was from the sight of the arcade or almost getting his face smashed in by a chair, Stephen couldn't tell, and for that matter didn't care. "Let's just say it had something to do with a lady in black. Did you guys call the cops? Alan got stabbed, Gary too, they're the only survivors." Stephen told him, keeping his eyes more on the door than anything else.

"Yeah….Angie said Ray called them. They're both outside, watching my back. There's nothing out there but dead bodies. The cops should be coming soon….but maybe we should get Alan and Gary out of here…in case whatever did this returns." Lamont put in, gesturing at Gary. 

"Yeah, you're right….you up to it, Gary?" Stephen asked, getting a weak nod. 

"Ok….come on, Lamont….you help Gary get Alan and I'll check to see if the coast is still clear. Just in case Mark hid from you when you came in like he did with me." Stephen replied, only half lying. The two young men bought it and Gary led Lamont to the bathroom. Stephen left the room, picking his chair back up as he walked back into the arcade area. He kept his eyes shooting in every direction, ready to smash anything with a knife that got in his way. 

When nothing came, he walked over to the Lady V game, his eyes still darting every which way. As he crept closer, he could see the message written in blood and pus. "That's inventive….yuck….now it says….:

Dear pretty ones,

If you want to see alive ever again, you'd best meet us at Pier 24's old mattress warehouse on Saitama Street. If you value his life, get there in a hour, or all bet are off. Sacrifice yourselves to the Raven….." Stephen read aloud, gulping to hold back the vomit that had been trying to break loose the entire time.

"This is bad….she's going to kill him if we don't show….I have to stop her….like this, if that's what she wants. Once Mark is safe…..Ow….huh?" Stephen swore, interrupted by scratching at his shin. 

"Cyrus?" he squeaked.

"Shh….Gary and Lamont are coming out with Alan. I'll tell the others….just leave them with me. I won't stand a chance against Raven and whatever she's plotting….the least I can do is keep an eye on those injured young men." The cat said, shutting up once Lamont and Gary came out carrying Alan's bloodied and sleeping form.

**_~ The Abandoned Warehouse ~_**

"I think it was mistake to leave Cyrus to guard those two….Alan looked half-dead. So many stab-wounds. I can't believe Raven made Mark do that….she ruined his life…." Stephen grumbled, pushing on the chained doors that were between them and the inner sanctum of the warehouse.

"Raven is a Dark Universe princess, man, like Viper was the prince. They had more powers than their monsters did, and she seems to like turning men into monster slaves. We just have to weaken mark when he gets transformed and free him, then we hit Raven." Ray said, determination filling his husky voice. Angela actually nodded in agreement for once as Lamont came to aid Stephen with the chains.

"He's right, Snowflake, for a brute, he's right. Raven hasn't changed tactics all this time….and she thinks she's just getting a bunch of normal humans with a lot of energy. She has no idea who she's fucking with. We'll stop her….and we'll have the last laugh." Angela crowed, a wicked gleam filling her eyes.

Lamont just shook his head and kicked the handles on the doors, the lock holding the chains to them groaning and shuddering under the great force of the hits. 

"I think she's smarter than that, all be psychotic, she's not dumb. What about all of those people she took out from under our noses Cyrus went off about? I think we've got more than just mark to worry about. She's not Viper….and you told me he suck a giant killer plant on you all along with himself. No, I bet she's got something more planned. She called us out, she's going to play for keeps. All I'm saying is we should be ready for anything." Lamont uttered, giving the lock and handles one final kick before they cracked the doors falling inward very slowly.

The audible creak in the doors as they did so made everyone shudder. "Now I'm really worried." Lamont croaked, holding his ring hand tightly as he crept into the darkness of the empty warehouse. Stephen followed him, taking note of how soft the ground was, how very squishy it sounded and felt. Stephen nearly choked on the rotten smelling air, making him wonder what the hell died in this place to make it smell so bad. 

He felt cold droplets falling on his head, sticky too, but he just wiped at them, not being able to see in the dark building. "God, this place is worse than a slaughterhouse in the sun. What the hell is that stench? Smells almost like sun dried road kill." Ray gagged, Angela joining in his displeasure.

"Why….it's the smell of my victory, pretty ones! Ah ha ha hah ha haaaa!" Raven's voice crooned, light suddenly filling the place, letting each young person's eyes take in the horrific sources of the terrible stench. 

Bodies….there were bodies everywhere. The walls were laced and drooling out entrails and gutted bodies were hanging from the rafters like sickly marionettes. Blood was raining down upon their heads like grizzly and decaying rain, painting their clothes and faces red with the death of others. 

As the four looked around in horror, they saw some bodies stuck on pikes and others pinned to the walls with their faces pinned up to look like dead clown smiles. Some were missing some or all part of their anatomy or certain parts were pinned with spikes in the wrong places. It was like and undead freak show.

And the ringmaster of it all, Princess Raven, was standing on top of a pile of corpses. Like her own ghastly throne, she sat atop it with a menacing smile plastered on her face. She was as she had been the night Viper died, clad in a tight and revealing leather bodice and bikini underwear, as near as anyone could tell, and her high heels tipped with metal spikes for each heel glittered amongst the crimson gore beneath her like demon's eyes. Stephen was not staring at her as the others were, he was looking at the only standing figure left in the building aside from themselves, the portly young man staring vacantly at him at the bottom of mound of the dead.

"Mark!" Stephen cried out, and Raven started cooing and laughing. 

"Oh, your voice, so musical, so sexy….I knew all this hard redecorating would bring you to me. After all, you'd do anything for your friends, even die for them. Stephen is it? Very common, but once I'm through with you boys, you'll all have glorious names, like myself." Raven chuckled, floating down to stand behind the vacant looking Mark. As she started to grope him, Stephen snapped. 

"Shove it up your ass, bitch! You said you'd let him live if we came here, now let him go. You've already ruined his entire life by making him kill all of those people! Stop tormenting him and pick on someone else!" he yelled.

"Did I say that? Hmm…oh.…Mark dearest didn't kill all of them, he just watched me work my magic. Nice of you to try and give him some credit, but it is all in vain," she cooed, putting one hand around Mark's neck and the other to his chest," I never said I'd pick on you, I just want your bodies…..your great energy. This toy….is useless to me now. I always break my toys sooner or later."

With that, Raven kissed mark lovingly on the cheek, the proceeded to blow Stephen one, but instead snapped Mark's neck. As his lifeless body dropped to the gore encrusted floor, Stephen's eyes went wide, all sound that gave him a voice leaving him at once. All he could do was stare and tremble, his heartbeat deafening him as he looked at his friend's body slump to the ground.

"Now be a good bunch of humans and surrender now….I'm sick of waiting for my glory." Raven chided, as if they had done something wrong. 

"You….you….you killed him…..you killed my best friend…..my friend….MY GOD! YOU BITCH!" Stephen stuttered out to a full blown scream, yanking out his pendant," I'm going to kill you, Raven! **_Moon Sword, Transform_**!!"

Raven stared in disbelief as her prize target became her main enemy, the Moon Knight. Much to her great displeasure, the other young humans with him held their fists to the sky, rings of blue, red, and green glimmering at their words

"**_Mercury Ice, Transform_**!"

"**_Mars Fire, Transform!_**"

"**_Jupiter Thunder, Transform_**!" 

"Galaxy Knights….so that's why you had such great energy! No matter….I was prepared for you all showing up, and since it seems that I invited you all here….why don't you take a good look at what a real woman can do! Dark Goddess, **_Dark Spectrum_**!" Raven cackled, her dark energy fleeing from her body and into the corpses that laced up the entire warehouse. Stephen paid no attention to her rambling and went right at her, catching her across the cheek and then the arm as he put all of his sorrow and rage into every attack. Raven just leapt back and snatched a pair black daggers out of nowhere, coming at him just as hard.

The other weren't as fortunate to get in a one on one battle, they got the results of Raven's spell, the living dead. Corpse after gutted corpse pulled themselves off the walls and out of Raven's throne pile, just letting out the sounds of broken bones and loose sinew slapping against each other, breathy gasps shoving out of their gaping, torn mouths as they moved toward the other three knights. 

"Argh, this is disgusting! Get away, slime ball!" Lamont growled, spinning his pole-arm and slashed and jabbed at whatever undead creations came near him, but they kept picking themselves up and coming at him again.

"This is horrific! Raven is mad! Back, demons, back!" Angela rasped, slashing her sword to sever as many limbs and heads as she could. Parts crawled and grabbed at her legs, trying to stab through her armor to pull her insides out. Angela used her sword and her boots to get the gore covered things off. 

Ray wasn't having a much easier time, he had a few of the undead creatures clawing at his back, a few hanging on as well. One was busy choking him and other was trying to bite through his helmet. 

"God, this is stupid….we need our powers. Not our weapons, they won't quit….Argh, get off me, road kill breath! Take that!" Ray shouted, cutting off the biter's head and arms before shoving the still biting head of his own. He ran backwards and slammed the other creature into the wall hard before whipping around to cut it to shreds. When he turned back around, he was cornered. 

"Ok, that does it….I don't care if you were human once….Oh my God….she didn't! That bitch!" Ray stammered, unable to move when he saw a few of the hideous faces and bodies limping towards him. He knew these faces, what remained of them, one was his close friend Sho Haramishi, the guy he normally did his runs with at school. He'd been declared missing a few weeks ago. Then there was Lei Satoshi, his lab partner in chemistry, the one who always said he'd end up blowing his hands off if he kept mixing too much in the test tubes. 

Now here they were, Sho dragging himself along the floor without his legs, one looking like it had been shredded to death, reaching for and trying to eat him. A ways behind him was Lei, one hand hanging by a thread of rotting sinew and his jaw was missing. 

"She took our friends….she took our friends. Mercury!!! Raven killed people we knew from school….just like she took Mark, she took some guys I know! God, what has she done to them?!" Ray shouted.

Mercury heard it, but didn't want to believe it. She had no friends, no acquaintances except Stephen, Alan, Gary, Ray and Lamont. There was no one here she recognized, but then again, Raven preferred men, not women. She probably never watched Mercury. Then she heard Jupiter cry out," Cici! Holy shit, she got Cici, Aiko, and Beck! Girls I wanted to date….they're here too, Mars! Mercury!" 

Mercury took a moment to look in Jupiter's direction, slashing off another severed arm to make it a severed hand. Then she saw them, plane as day, three blood stained blondes, one of which looked a bit familiar. 

'That's right the girl who was being attacked the night I became a Galaxy Knight….Raven….Oh god, she'd got metal spikes in her eyes and hair. She murdered her too!' Angela thought, her eyes widening with horror as Jupiter tried shoving the three gruesome blondes away from him, jabbing them in their carved out stomachs, but they just got up and went after him again.

Mercury was about to come over to aid him when she felt something latch onto her leg, trying to climb up it and clawing at her bare thigh. She hacked at it, horror and sadness filling her eyes as she saw what she'd hit. 

"A child….guys, she's murdered little kids. God….more are coming! We have to end this now….they're not human anymore, they're not even alive….! Guys, we have to stop them or we'll never get to Raven. She did this! Use your powers!!" She screamed, tears welling in her eyes at the sight of little boy laying there cut in half, his socket-less eyes holes and gaping mouth drooling at her.

She picked it up and threw it right at the three blondes approaching Jupiter, knocking the undead trio over. She ran over to the startled knight and shook him. 

"They're not human….not anymore. They're gone, Jupiter. All we can do is end their pain. We have to destroy them….there's no other way….Moon Knight needs us too, we can't be kind to these things or he'll join them. Come on, for Moon Knight, to avenge all this pointless death, we have to, you know that as well as I do." She told him, and got a nod. "Mars….," Jupiter shouted, half-croaking it out," Destroy them….only destroying Raven matters. Use whatever means necessary to get us to him."

"You got it, Jupiter. **_Raging Hell Fire!_**" Mars yelled, slashing his sword at the hoard of zombies before him. They were incinerated in an instant by the fireballs that came out of the slash, allowing Mars to reach his friends. 

"**_Ice Slash!_**" Mercury shouted, dozens of freezing ice shards flying out of her sword to crash into multiple zombies, stopping them cold. 

"Now its my turn, **_Spiral Shocker_**!" Jupiter growled, slamming the bottom of his pole-arm on the gory ground to let out the green spirals of lightning swirl about him, then let them loose on the frozen zombies. 

More were coming from behind and the sides, but all in front had been eradicated. That was enough for them, for now. "Now we help Moon! It's now or never! Hyah!" Mercury crowed, rushing forth towards the dueling pair.

~

Stephen Tsukikage had his angry moments when he was less than desirable as company to anyone, moments when he'd threaten to stuff his sister in the blender of the garbage disposal, or if he was teased to such an extent that he could hold back his anger. None of those moments could even compare to the hate and unchallenged rage he was feeling towards Raven, the murderer of hundreds of innocent people, and one special innocent in particular. 

Mark Tepes, his best friend since he could walk and talk, the one he'd trusted and relied upon in the best and worst of times. The guy who never judged him, the guy that always made him laugh before they were separated over one drunken night between their parents. 

Now he was dead, dead at the hands of an inter-dimensional floozy with S&M desires, a homicidal princess that killed Mark to gain Stephen, Lamont, and Ray as her energy slaves. The plans of the Dark Universe had destroyed hundreds of lives just to gain three young men, three young knights. Stephen never felt so enraged, but more at himself. 

'Cyrus was right….I should have quit shucking off my responsibilities and gone after her. If I had, mark would be alive and Gary and Alan would be all right. We'd all be all right if I wasn't such a screw up! ARGHHH! Its all my fault!' he screamed at himself, taking another swing at Raven, his hits so full of rage the princess' daggers were forced back into Raven and cutting up her chest. 

"I HATE YOU!! HE DIDN"T DO ANYTHING TO YOU AND YOU STOLE HIS LIFE! I will never forgive you….I'm going to kill you with my bare hands if I have to! Die! JUST FUCKING DIE!!" Moon Knight screamed, catching her in the right eye with his free hand before slashing his sword across her front. 

Then he felt sharp pain in his shoulder, then sticky warmth running down his chest and arm. He jumped back at the first sensation of pain and found one of Raven's dark daggers had been rammed into his shoulder. 

'Stupid….you were too angry to see that sucker move. She'll pay, I won't be denied….Her pain will be more than mine!' he thought angrily, but as he moved, his body was wracked with pain, the dagger in his shoulder crackling with purple lightening.

"Stupid, child….Dark Universe weapons steal energy…..but then again, you didn't know that till now. The more you fight it, the more it takes. You can never hope to escape it unless someone takes it out….and you'll never succeed. You'll only be pained when you do….Hah, hah, hah. All that effort for nothing. Poor Mark died in vain, Moon Knight, and so will you! Not even your pitiful friends can save you. You're mine!" Raven cackled, a mad look on her face, dark eyes wide and crazed.

Moon Knight looked away from her only to see his friends surrounded by zombies, battered and bloody from the battle. 'No….it can't end like this….Mark, I'm sorry. I….no, I won't fail! Never! I'm going to fight.' He thought harshly, looking at Raven with daggers in his eyes.

"Forget it, you old hag! I'll never give up. Argh…..ah, never!!" Moon Knight shouted, reaching desperately for the dagger, but his body convulsed with more and more pain each time he tried. "Prepare to merge with the Dark Universe pretty one. Prepare to be mine!!" Raven said triumphantly, raising her other dagger to throw forth at Moon Knight.

Moon Knight saw a glint of silver rather than darkness, a silver sword, stabbing right through Raven's dagger holding hand. The dark dagger clattered to the floor with purple blood spattering and mixing in with the human red. Lady Glamour had just run her sword through Raven's hand, and with slight turn, she'd run her through the chest. And kicked her away. Glamour was soon by his side, yanking the dagger out of his shoulder. 

"Are you all right?" she asked, looking back to where Raven was laid out, stunned. Moon Knight, being deeply in love with this woman, should have been overjoyed at the sight of her, but his heart wasn't in it. He could still see Mark's dying moments in his mind, nothing to stop it. He just nodded, not looking at her.

"She took so many….and not a drop of energy…..This….this is beyond evil, Glamour….I couldn't save them…." Moon uttered, feeling Glamour help him to his feet.

"I saw….what she did to the young man when I arrived. I couldn't help him either…..or any of them. I was far too late….as always. I keep losing people….to them." She whispered, her voice sounding pained. 

'She….lost to them too? People here or in the past?' he wondered, then back up a bit as Glamour glowed a gentle amethyst. 

"No mercy!! Murderer race! Keepers of the Earth, punish your defilers with your divine breath! **_Earth Rumble_**!" Glamour cried out, her voice full of unshed tears and sadness it made a few slip across Moon Knight's cheeks.

He teetered a bit as the ground rumbled, then splits open, swallowing up some of the dead and lacerated parts that were struggling to reach the knights. The giant, green and metal thorn covered vines shot out of the cracks in the ground, latching themselves onto Raven as she tried to float out of reach. 

They ripped at her evil body, spilling purple blood all over her body and the ground. Then the vines began to pulled her down into the ground, her dark energy flailing wildly around her body as she tried to break free. More and more vines came with each one she destroyed, bent on taking her to hell, Moon surmised anyway. He raised his own blade when he thought Raven would get free and shouted," Die, you Dark Universe whore! **_Celestial Beam_**!!"

The beam of light smashed dead center into Raven, the vines gripping her again and tugging into the cracks they'd made. An explosion of dark light erupted from the ground once he could no longer see Raven, then the cracks closed and vanished without a trace. Moon turned about to help his friends, but there was little reason to do so when he looked for them. The undead army of once beautiful and happy people had all fallen to the ground. 

Without Raven to guide them or control them, they were just corpses, only capable of doing one thing, being dead. Moon paid no mind to Glamour this time and made his way towards Mark's body. It just laid there in the same place Raven had snapped his neck, looking to his right, directly at Moon himself with a glazed and peaceful expression. Moon scooped him up in his arms, the eyes of the body shutting upon his touch. 

"Why did it have to be you? Why….God? Why him?' he uttered quietly, tears flowing out of his mask mixed with the blood the building had rained upon him. A few tears fell on Mark's face, running down with a slight glint in the light. 

"Why?" he shuddered, falling to his knees with the body held close, then he began to sob.

All of the knights, even Glamour surrounded him, their eyes wracked with pain and agony at Moon's sorrow. Glamour began to shed tears of her own, only staring at him and nothing else, the blood over Raven still drizzling down her arm. Mercury fought back her tears, biting her lip at that low spoken comment. 

"We should….call the police and get out of here. I can't…..God, I can't take anymore of this waste of life anymore. It makes me sick." Glamour uttered, fighting back her own pain. Mars and Jupiter nodded, their mouths trying to speak, but only choked words came out, nothing anyone could understand. Moon nodded with them. 

"Yeah….he won't be blamed for this. That woman will….the survivors….and Stephen….they'll….tell the police he didn't do it. They will…."Moon choked out, laying his friend's body down on the ground slowly before standing up.

"Yes….the survivors….will tell the truth, as much as can be expected. For all these lost souls….ah." Glamour tried to say, the pain in her voice cutting her short. Moon watched her run out of the building, blood lacing her feet as she fled into the night. 

'Yes….and they were avenged….for now. Raven suffered.' He thought coldly before running out of the building, trying to escape the pain as fast as he could.

**_ ~ The Dark Universe ~_**

Raven had been lucky, she'd teleported away from Glamour's vines and Moon's attack the moment she had gone under, so they'd never suspect she survived. He trudged into Specter's throne room, her stomach bleeding a purple river behind her as she headed for her lord. He was staring at her, not smiling, his eyes tight and narrowed. Xeno was standing beside the throne, his eyes widened slightly, nothing but fear on his face. Raven could win Specter over, she knew who the Knights were, he'd let her live for that.

"Lord Specter….I….I know I failed….but I have valuable information…-gag-" she let out, her pain wracked and bloody body heaving from every word. 

Specter stood up, Xeno stepping forward keeping a close eye on their leader. "You will not be forgiven, Raven. Princess or not, no matter what information you have! I care very little for your worthless words. You wasted boundless energy, you killed hundreds of people and never bothered to even siphon off their energy! You bloody fool! You do not deserve to be among the high ranks of the Dark Universe, you worthless piece of trash!! Rah!" Specter growled, his hand filled with his own dark powers and thrust it in Raven's direction. Raven was sent flying into a wall, kept there by Specter's powers.

Xeno looked terrified, running up right beside their lord with pleading eyes. "No, Lord Specter! She was my student! I should the one who is punished. Please!" Xeno begged, but Specter wasn't moved. 

"She made her own choices and therefore her own mistakes. She should suffer for them with death! **_Echo Break_**!" Specter growled, smacking his hands together for a moment before thrusting them apart. As he did so, Raven was dismembered, her body splitting from every extrusion of her entire body in a hailstorm of purple blood and screams. 

"Xeno! Avenge me! Kill the Galaxy Knights! AHHHHH!!!!!" she screamed before her head and limbs were torn from her body. The parts melted into the stone floor, bubbling all the way through the stone, leaving nothing but a purple smear on the wall and floor. 

Xeno ran towards it, calling out for Raven, but she was already gone. When he reached the spot where she'd been killed, he stared numbly on the verge of dark tears that his lover had been killed. Killed by their lord and master. He just stood and stared at the blood, shivering.

"You will not get the next chance, Xeno, I need you here to instruct Kitty. She's next in line for the Earth missions. I hope you trained her better than you trained that slut. Understood?!" Specter boomed, getting a curt nod from Xeno.

"As you wish, Lord Specter." Xeno said, sounding as obedient as he could manage. After Specter had left the throne room, not even looking back at the heartbroken warrior, a single raven feather floated down towards Xeno. He caught it easily with his hand, a touch of Raven's blood on a few sections of the midnight black feather. 

"My love….I will….I will avenge you, my precious dark bird. My Raven, I will avenge you, lover." He uttered, clutching the feather close to his chest, shutting his eyes to let a single black tear slide down his pale cheek.

(**_Note:_** _Not someone you can feel bad for dying, but you have to sympathize with Xeno. He's not like the others, so he can love unconditionally like a human, not like Raven does just for power and pleasure, he does it for himself, for true love. Poor guy, ah well, too bad. She was evil_.)

**__**

End of Part Two….**_ Wings of Death Epic!_**

Stay Tuned this Summer for Part 3, the **Spectrum Crystals Saga **and **Princess Kittiana!!**


	14. Ch 14Enter Miss Kitty

Disclaimer: I do not own "Sailor Moon" or the Lunarock song," Soldier of Love ****

Disclaimer: _I do not own "**Sailor Moon**" or the **Lunarock** song,"** Soldier of Love**." Since my Ray isn't going to be singing in this story ever, the song is needed for his replacement singer._

****

Chapter 14

__

Enter Miss Kitty 

**_~ The Dark Universe Throne Room ~_**

"All right now, two down and two to go. The pitiful failures are out of the picture, but don't get any ideas that since so few of you are left that I'll be any easier on you, Princess Kitty. Your brother and sister were cut from the same cloth and centuries of training as you were, you're to be judged as they were if you fail me. Understood?" Specter said, the annoyance at Kitty's lateness still bothering him.

"Kitty understands perfectly. Kitty will make you proud, beloved Lord Specter." Kitty chirped happily, her child-like and bright lavender eyes and cute smile making Specter want to be sick. Kittiana was her true name, but she deemed it too hard to spell and say, so she shortened it to Kitty. As terribly adorable as she was for a Dark Universe princess and the bubble head that she was, she could be a vengeful little witch. Like all of his warriors, each had a sense of taste and style, and Kitty's was by far the most precious and cute, something Dark Universe people weren't supposed to practice. 

Kitty did it anyway, saying that the best disguise is the exact opposite of what you are, and in the past it had proven very correct. Her cute act and idiotic ramblings proved to confuse opponents so well they never expected her to rip their hearts out and eat it, looking as cute as possible. Her giggle could peel paint, so saccharine and loud, but it didn't help opponents take her serious. 

The odd little leotard of white she wore with it fluffy portions around her ankles, her wrists, her waist and down the rim of her low back and top of the top of the entire ensemble. Her white boots with little bells on the tips usually made people start laughing, for all of ten seconds before she gutted them humming a sweet tune or just looking very sweet about the whole thing. 

Kitty was nothing short of a hilarity costume over a rabid dog ready to rip all the guts out of anything that laughed at her or got in her way, with the claws for fingernails and fangs to prove it. She was nearly as homicidal as Raven, but she had more patience than her older sister. She knew energy meant she'd be praised and would live longer. She never got greedy for just one particular target. She liked to go after anything and everything that was a good energy carrier. 

Kitty did it with style and such sweetness that it was sickening. Her lack of brainpower was the only reason Specter saved her for third place, she only did what she was told and that was that. She was not great at thinking on her toes or making good decisions, especially when her beauty was challenged. In the past, Kitty always stuck around to watch her warriors in action, but if one was defeated, she would panic at the loss of whatever the monster stole and run. Xeno had been training her shortly after they were banished from Earth 10,000 years ago, and her thinking skills had improved, slightly.

"Good Kitty. Now remember, the energy is all that matters and if you see the Galaxy Knights or that tart Lady Glamour, kill them! I don't care if you or your warriors do it, just kill them. Raven broke their spirits well enough. Xeno told me what her plan had been after death….after some persuasion," Specter grinned, glimmering mentally as the memory of tortures," If it was done right, they should be broken down from what she did, confused and hurt. Take this to your advantage….but….and I stress this, in my rage of punishing her for wasting all of that delicious power on death she could have told me who the knights were. That is your second priority. Energy first, the knights' identities second. Is that understood?"

Kitty looked confused a moment with a pouty lip, then brightened up a second later and nodded. "Kitty understands, Kitty has to gather energy for Lord and Goddess and see what is behind the knight's helmets. Then kill, kill, kill them. Hee, hee, hee. Going to kill them, yes, yes, going to kill the Galaxy Knights." Kitty giggled childishly.

Specter held up one hand to stop her horrible giggles and she readily obeyed. "Yes, but when I say kill, what do I mean?" he asked, giving her a knowing look. "Kitty thinks you mean suck the life out of them for Goddess and Lord doesn't kill Kitty for Raven-like, screw-ups. Mmmkay?" she asked sweetly, and evil glimmering appearing in her lavender eyes.

"Good Kitty. Don't make me have to punish you like I punished her then. Go rape this world of its energy! NOW GO!" Specter boomed, standing up swiftly from his chair and pointed right at her with a long finger. It crackled with dark energy as he did so and Kitty promptly curtsied, as well as she could pull off with a leotard on. Then she vanished in a flash of white light that looked like the jaws of a tiger, making the sound of the wild cat before she was totally gone.

Specter walked out of the throne room after that, moving quietly to the chamber to his left, a door with skeletons letting out silent screams and reaching out for the help that would never come. Specter walked right through it, his body phasing darkly, as if he were a ghost, through it to the inner sanctum of the great and dark chamber. Within, he could see the Dark Goddess, what remained of her from 10,000 years ago. Now she was just a huge red ball of gelatinous energy within the web of obsidian. Specter came up before the glowing ball that was his goddess and knelt down.

"_What have you to report, Lord Specter?_" the goddess asked, her seductive tone still the same as it was so long ago. Specter kept his head down and aimed his eyes at the base of her obsidian throne as he spoke. "My Dark and Merciless Goddess, two of my subordinates have fallen….one by the hands of the Earth heroes, the Galaxy Knights. The other was by my own hand for wasting lives without taking their energy away for you to grow stronger upon. I have two subordinates left, Princess Kittiana and Knight Xeno of the Dark Moon family. We have collected a good amount of Earth life force for you, but their failures have cost us the early attack you and I both crave. I have sent Kittiana to gather more for you, your glory, and Xeno is searching for the Earth Princess and the Spectrum Crystals that contain our fallen allies from the attack 10,000 years ago." He replied, making sure to say it clearly and carefully. 

The Dark Goddess was not at full strength, but she could easily kill him with a thought if she wanted to. Watching your mouth around her was very important to go on living. The silence was slowly killing him as he waited for her to answer, giving him time to consider slit his throat so he'd die quicker than she would allow.

"_This disturbs me, Specter, but the energy your failures managed to provide was suitable enough for me to be allowed the power of telepathy to speak to you, you sorry excuse for a dark lord! Don't you dare come back to me until these Galaxy Knights are dead and you have gotten me all the energy I need to lay waste to the universe of light! Get out of my chambers before I make you get out._" The goddess let out evenly, every syllable dripping with hate and malice.

Specter just nodded his head and left the chambers quickly. 'Kitty had better do her job correctly, or we're all done for.' He thought, sitting back upon his throne to think.

**_~ Cemetery Tokyo ~_**

Stephen Tsukikage stood with Mr. and Mrs. Tepes, his eyes dry and red from crying out every tear he had to offer over the past 35 days, each day he'd walked into the Tepes household to pay his respects to Mark's urn. Stephen hadn't flinched much when he got the call from a distraught Mrs. Tepes when he snuck back into the house hours after the battle with Raven. 

He'd gone to the hospital to check on Gary and Alan first, trying to keep a brave face on about what he'd seen. Gary was all right, only a few cuts on his left arm remained and some bruises. He had refused medical attention, saying his brother was worse off, according to a few of the nurses, and he was right. 

Alan had multiple stab wounds and a blow to the head. He'd also gotten a broken left arm and twisted ankle on his right leg. He was out cold for a few days, and he was probably recovering with Gary sitting at his bedside. The survivors, the only real survivors Stephen had seen, and he hadn't saved them, they had saved themselves, or more appropriately Gary saved his brother and Stephen's lives.

Stephen went home then, getting the call from Mark's wailing mother that he'd been found dead with broken neck near the docks. Stephen started weeping with her as the painful memory of Mark's murder came back to him over and over again, all because he took too long to stop Raven. He blamed himself for his friends death all through the phone call, waking up the entire house when he hung up and started screaming "Why!?" 

He broke down in tears again, his entire body aching with regret and sorrow as his mother and father came down to his heaving body. Even his little sister came down looking fearful. When they all tried to comfort him, he snapped and screamed at all of them to leave him alone. He then blamed his parents for Mark's death as well as himself, saying that if Mom hadn't gotten drunk and his father wasn't a stubborn bastard, Mark would still be alive because Stephen would have been with him.

With that, he'd run up and locked himself in his room until a day later, when he got a funeral invitation. He'd eaten the first funeral meal by the side of Mrs. Tepes. As with most familiars he was used to, it was held in a crematorium. After Mark had been cremated, Stephen watched the Tepes and their relatives pick the bones out of the ashes with chopsticks and pass them from one person to the next.

The ceremony was held later on, Buddhist monks performing the funeral rights to the urn Mark's ashes were kept it, a precious oriental painted glass urn of fine porcelain. Then Stephen and all the other guests gave Mark's family $188.67 each to show their condolences to the deceased. All that paid tribute to Mark were given small gifts in Mr. and Mrs. Tepes in appreciation for their kindness. Most had gotten pretty little porcelain statues or music boxes, silver things and fancy stuff, but not Stephen. 

They gave him what most thought upon first glance was a ratty baseball, a broken picture frame with two little boys in it, and what appeared to be a video tape. They were insulting gifts to all the other gifts until Stephen hugged Mark's parents, whispering tearful 'thanks you's' to them before the next meal started.

The baseball had been a signed on that Stephen caught at game, but gave it to Mark because he'd wanted one so badly and never had the luck to catch one. Stephen had taken the baseball in the head just to get it, and even in pain couldn't help but want to make him young friend happy. They weren't rich like Stephen's family was, yet what Stephen did was out of friendship, not pity. He couldn't stand to see his friend failing at something he really wanted to do, hurting himself in the process. It had made Mark the happiest little boy in all of Tokyo just to touch that ball. 

Stephen wanted the ball very badly as well, and never got the chance to catch another one since the event occurred only a week or two before their parents fought drunkenly and stupidly. The video tape was of the karate classes he and Mark took at the urgings of their fathers, a very memorable occasion where Stephen and Mark had to fight and accidentally kicked the instructor in the nuts with high kicks aimed at each other. It was a total accident, but both boys had fallen over laughing as the instructor fell over cursing.

The Tepes family had taped the event and said they make a copy of the tape for the Tsukikage's so they could enjoy it, but they kept forgetting and eventually it was far too late. The last item, the picture frame, had been from a play fight accident at the Tepes house. Stephen and Mark had been practicing their moves for another tournament and did it far to close to one of the tables in the house, one that held a picture of Stephen and Mark as toddlers. They were standing in front of the tree in the back of Mark's yard, the weeping willow that was a silky pink above their little heads and bright smiles. 

Stephen had kicked the picture off the table with one of his improved high kicks, earning him fives stitches from the glass that got embedded in his foot and lecture about practicing in the house. It held the first memory of the two boys together, the first of many, but just having the one picture was enough. Mark's parents had lost their only child so barely close to him growing up into a man, gone by murder, one that would go unsolved forever as would all those dead around him. 

After the ceremony and suppers were all over, the urn was placed in the Tepes household for 35 days with constant incense burning day and night, and Stephen came in every day to catch up on what mark did after the drunk fight his mother started with them separated them. He lit a stick of sweet smelling incense each day he came, crying and remembering with the Tepes about how Mark had been doing and what his plans for the future had been. 

Now here he was in the Cemetery Tokyo staring at the grave Mark's urn was buried in, standing there with dry, red eyes, matching the eyes of Mark's sniffling parents. They were praying for him through the sniffles, but Stephen did it in his head. Long after the burial had ended and the guests had left, he and Mark's parents remained behind to mourn. Lamont, Ray, and even Angela had come to the funeral to pay their respects to the dead, their friends and Stephen's. 

Lamont was sullen for a few weeks, and stayed home for a while to mourn poor Cici and all the people he recognized as Raven's victims. Ray had to go to school to honor his departed friends with salutes and by talking to teachers and friends that had felt the pain of their deaths as well.

Angela did nothing but pray, not offering condolences or acting any differently in school or in public about anything. Stephen hated the way she was treating this tragedy, so many innocents were dead and she was too proud and cold hearted to even shed a damn tear. Not even for Alan or Gary, not for any of their pain and losses. She was just the same, the brutal girl who was always tough and correct, no matter how wrong she really was.

Stephen narrowed his eyes upon thinking about Angela, the hate welling up in his body. He forced it back down, knowing an outburst right now would be horrible for Mark's parents. They'd be a shambles if he disturbed their sacred prayer. After a few more hours passed and the sun began to set, the Tepes family started to leave. Stephen didn't budge, silent as death as he kept staring at his friend's grave.

"Stephen? Aren't you coming? Its getting so late….the curfew and all with the murderer still at large. Please, don't put your parents through pain by worrying them." Mrs. Tepes told him, but he shook his head. "I'll be fine….don't worry about me. My parents only worry when something makes them look bad. You go on home….I can call a taxi or go to my friend Ray's. He lives a block from here." Stephen replied evenly, almost in a whisper.

"Are you sure?" she asked. He gave a curt nod. "I'm sure. Go home and sleep….you've had a rough time already. Go home." He said quietly. He listened a moment, hearing both parents sigh, then the footsteps on the cobblestone path that led out of the cemetery. When the car engine sounded, Stephen let out a sigh of his own. The car noises soon ceased and all that came to Stephen's ears was the gentle blowing of the sunset wind, the land gone almost blood red before his ice blue eyes as they stared unwavering at the grave. 

'The murderer will never hurt anyone again, Mark, she's dead. I'm just so sorry I took so long to do it. You suffered….through her because of my irresponsibility. Its all my fault that you and those people died.' He thought, closing his eyes gently to fight back a new wave of sorrow and tragic memories he would never be rid of.

He could still heard the sickening crack of Mark's neck as Raven snapped it with a swift twist, the look of evil pride she felt in the act. He still wanted to kill her, over and over again to take his anger and sadness out on her before turning the sword on himself for his crimes, the crime of doing nothing to stop it. He killed her, but far too late for all of the people she carved out and slaughtered. All he could do was watch and shatter within his heat, the innocence lost in the brief second it took Mark to die.

"All my fault, I wasn't….fast enough." Stephen whispered, tears finally forming in his eyes.

"I don't think so. What gave you that idea?" said a soft and low voice. 'Gary?' he thought, slowly turning his head to see Gary was standing just a few feet away from him, his sunglasses on and the same red suit jacket he always wore on, a new one opposed to the one that had been massacred in Raven's attack. The cuts that had once been on his hands and face were gone, he looked almost the same as he had the first day Stephen had met him, aside from the black eye he was still nursing and a few bruised knuckles.

"How long were you here? I didn't hear you come up." Stephen replied. Gary shrugged, not smiling at all. "I came to the burial because that's where your parents told me you were, paying your respects to Mark. I had wanted to talk to you privately, over the phone was my first choice, but your parents said you were very upset, so I waited till today so I could find out when the funeral would be. Mark was a nice guy….its no wonder you were such good friends. I'm sorry, Stephen, I know that doesn't count for much since I didn't know him as well as you did, but I am sorry he's dead. No….no one deserves what happened to him and those people." Gary replied, looking rather embarrassed about the whole thing. 

Stephen offered a weak smile, which quickly faded before he extended his hand to Gary and gestured for him to come closer. Gary did so and stood beside Stephen to recite a whisper of prayers. 

"I'm sorry too and you're wrong, Gary. This was all my fault. I should have known something was up when he didn't come to school for so long and when he said he was in trouble….the night…..before he died. I should have called the police….I should have been faster. He'd be alive if it wasn't for my irresponsibility." Stephen hissed out, interrupting Gary's prayers. 

"You couldn't have known how much trouble he was in. You did what you thought was right….its not your fault, you didn't tell that lunatic woman to kill all of those people. She's probably the person who killed him, she kept him awful close when she was killing the arcade patrons. I know….something was wrong with him, that the woman with the black eyes had to have caused it, but it wasn't your fault. How could you have known?" his friend replied.

"It's something only I can understand, Gary. Only me. You'd never understand why I blame myself so much, not in a million years….but thanks anyway, for being here. I really appreciate your words too, its just Mark was my first and best friend that I ever had since I was a little kid. Now he's gone. I just need to deal with this in my own way, Gary, please, try to understand that. Please." Stephen replied, tears starting to fall from his eyes. 

Gary just looked over at him, his glasses reflecting back Stephen's sniffling face in both lenses. Gary took a small breath and gave off a nod. "I know what it's like to lose someone important in my life. My parents died right in front of me when I was just a kid. I know what death can do to someone, and the pain it brings. I'm not asking you to feel sorry for me, Stephen, just to understand that I do know how you feel, maybe even more than you know. Don't sell me short on pain, I know what its like. You can always talk to me if you need someone to open up to. Keeping it inside….only makes the pain eat at you, it kills you slowly." He said quietly, his tone sincere and quiet.

Stephen just blinked, the sun setting in the west slowly, the light bleeding away over the horizon into darkness over the two young men. "I had no idea….I….I'm sorry, Gary. I'm just a really torn up inside over this….I didn't know," Stephen mumbled, but his friend just patted him on the shoulder and shook his head," Thanks, Gary."

"Its ok….dealing with our pain makes us stronger. I know my parents would be proud of me for going on for them, but I still hurt inside over the memories. Don't let them run your life, just deal with them as best you can in whatever manner helps. Just do what you feel is right. Not like me or anything, it's your life, Stephen. Your choice." Gary told him. He started to turn around, heading back for the cemetery gates. 

"Gary!" Stephen called, and his friend stopped halfway to turn towards him. "How are you going to make rent now? With the arcade all boarded up and under police investigation for the murders? You can't give me lessons there until it's been fixed up. Can you make it?"

Gary shrugged. "I'll have to get another job at night to make my payments. I'm glad I don't have a car or I'd be living on the streets about now. I'll make it. Don't worry about me." Gary told him, but Stephen ran up to him and shook his head. 

"No, you're my friend too, Gary. I can't let a friend down again, never again. We can just have the lessons at your apartment. My father still says I need a tutor. Come on, it'll be ok. You need the money." Stephen sped out. Gary looked a little paler than usual, but when Stephen repeated the proposal, he let out a forced "yes."

"I guess so, but I'm kind of a slob when it comes to housework because college takes up most of my time. You can't go in my bedroom. I have two bathrooms in my apartment, but you'll have to use the one by the washer and dryer. My room is a real pigsty. Deal?" Gary thrummed out, sounding nervous.

"If that's the only rule, sure, you've got a deal. I'll meet you at your apartment complex at the usual time then. I need to think about something other than all this hell that's hit Tokyo, even if just for a couples hours." Stephen breathed out, shaking Gary's gloved hand on the deal.

"Ok," Gary said," I'll give you the address once we get to your house."

"My house?" Stephen asked quizzically.

"Yeah, meathead, your house. This is curfew we've just violated. You need to be with an adult to be safe, so I'm the adult for now. I'll walk you home and give you the address, then I can call a taxi from your house. I don't want to get in trouble with the cops by being on the streets so late and alone either." Gary explained, understanding lighting up in Stephen's eyes.

"Then let's go. I've….mourned enough for today. I'll see my friend whenever can." Stephen replied and the two young men walked out of the silent place, unaware dark ravens circled overhead as they did.

**_~ Takozona Junior High ~_**

- Next Day -

"Sleep well, Stephen? Please answer me. You haven't spoken to me in weeks." Cyrus asked the young man quietly by the cherry tree. Recess was very quiet, most people sticking close to the building and eating area rather than being suicidal and going near the woods. Stephen was leaning again the cherry tree Cici had nearly been killed beneath. He was staring at the trees, or rather through them, as if he could see something no one else could. 

"Stephen!" Cyrus tried again, but Stephen was still ignoring him. He was too busy staring and looking depressed. During the weeks of silence, Stephen took his free moments of the mourning for Mark to go to Ray's dojo and train with him. The results of the rigorous training were broken **_bokkens_*** holes littering most of the punching bags and one had been kicked to a sandy pulp.

Ray, even with enhanced healing, had been dealt bruised ribs and limbs in sparring with Stephen. The young white-haired knight had put all of his rage and anguish into his training, having to be dragged off Ray and whoever else happened to be unlucky enough to spar with him. He never shed a single tear while training. He saved that for what mattered, paying his respects to Mark's urn and parents.

Cyrus was forced to watch all of this from a window. Stephen had become totally unwilling to bring a "useless" cat around with him unless he had something of importance to share, like what the Dark Universe was up to. It had been very quiet, as it had been after Viper's death, since Raven had been vanquished. Stephen didn't like it, or at least he'd voiced it to Ray and Lamont whenever he went to talk with them. They agreed.

Angela was the only person that Stephen had avoided most often and if he saw her, he'd walk the other way. He never called her up on the phone to ask her things or return any of her phone calls. She'd come to his window a few times only to get the curtain shut on her and find the window was locked. Cyrus wondered if her persistence was going to make Stephen snap like he did at the dojo. He'd taken enough of his anger out on animate and inanimate objects for weeks already, so Cyrus doubted that Stephen had much hatred left. He hoped anyway.

"Well, I'm sorry there are no Dark Universe creeps for you to beat the hell out of. I have scoured the entire area ever since we stopped Raven, but no new business, no new anything's have sprouted up, no dark presences, nothing. At least say 'Dammit' or 'I wonder what they are waiting for?' or something, please Stephen. You're driving me crazy being so damn quiet and sullen." Cyrus hissed. 

"Dammit, dammit, fuck, shit. There, satisfied?" Stephen drawled out, totally without emotion. Cyrus just sighed heavily, lowing his small dark and velvety head. Then he felt hands pick him up. He looked up at Stephen curiously. "I'm bored out here. I'm going to my next class early. I can't stand being where a Dark Universe slime ball was. I hate this tree now." Stephen mumbled, holding the cat close to him, a little too tightly as well. 

That and Stephen was looking a bit to the left of where they were with an annoyed expression. Cyrus turned his head as Stephen headed for the eating area, his small eyes catching a glimpse of Angela Furosuto, her orchid hair in a neat ponytail for once. She looked terribly happy to see them, or rather Stephen and was quickly approaching them. Stephen was quickly heading for the school, obviously in a damn hurry to escape Angela, more than he usually did.

Still, he wasn't fast enough to weave past the table he was bumping into and the people that walked or ran in front of him. He stopped cold with a grumbling cringe when Angela grabbed him by the shoulder firmly. "What's your hurry?" she asked sweetly.

"Getting away from you. Leave me alone." Stephen said quietly, not bothering to turn, but he squeezed at Cyrus so hard the cat let out a choked meow.

"Still playing hard to get, Snowflake? Tsk, after such tragedy and you're not wanting to open up to your one and only love? I thought our relationship was much more trusting than that, darling. Stop sulking about the past and get on with life, like getting it on with me, sweetness." She sassed, sounding so superior and knowing.

Cyrus felt the squeezing coming again, but it stopped before the pressure could really hurt. Stephen actually straightened up and let go of him, letting him land safely at his feet. Cyrus looked up and balked. Stephen's face was bright red, with hate or embarrassment, Cyrus couldn't tell until he focused on those around them. 

Most of the students were giggling, females were grumbling, and most of the males were saying comments about Stephen lacking the balls to stand up to his woman. The teasing and giggles and such went on for what seemed like an eternity, Stephen's face getting redder and redder before he grit his teeth and shut his eyes tightly, clenching his fists at his sides.

It all happened so fast, all Cyrus could recall was the loud smacking sound that killed all of the noise around them. Stephen had just slapped Angela in the face, hissing out heaving breaths at her. Cyrus could only see him from the back, but his hate filled voice told him it was not a happy one. 

"What the hell do you know about true love, you stupid, conniving, egotistical, feminist bitch!? None of your friends died out there, none of them were gutted and plastered all over the place! YOU DIDN'T FUCKING SEE OR FEEL A GODDAMN THING! You're nothing but a snotty, brutish beast with delusions of grandeur! You have no idea what real pain is because all you ever cared about was your damn self! I do not love you!! I will never love you! We were never a couple! I never wanted to be anything to you but a stranger, but no! You're too big-headed to admit that you're over the top insane for anyone to love!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, shoving Angela extra hard. It was hard enough to knock her over when her haughty expression refused to fade. Cyrus could see she looked downright shocked now, almost scared.

Everyone was staring at them, the girls backing behind the boys as Stephen's rage only grew. "As I have been saying for months on end, and I want the whole damn school to hear this for the record! I never, and will never love you or be your boyfriend. I was willing to be your friend until you started this lie about us! I wouldn't be your boyfriend if you were the last damn woman on Earth! I'd sooner castrate and kill myself than ever touch your foul and spoiled rotten form! EVER! Go to hell, Angela, the Devil is more suited for beast like you!" Stephen spat out, slamming his hand on a nearby table.

He stayed in place, his icy eyes just about ready to scream for a bloodbath right here and now, but Angela just stared up at him, her eyes going watery. 'Damn, how long has he been bottling up tall that? Her lips are bleeding from him slapping her. Stephen, what's happened to you??' Cyrus thought, cringing in fear for Angela as she got up and walked right up to Stephen.

She stared at him for the longest time. "You….you….you…." she was saying, as if the words hurt.

"I what?" Stephen hissed, and got slapped across the face a second later. He looked startled for a moment, but just looked right back at Angela, stone cold and angry. Her lips upturned and she shoved past him, wailing loudly.

"Good riddance." Stephen muttered and walked towards the school for his next class.

Cyrus just watched him go, rather dully, his small face flooding with worry. 'Was it really? Was your pain worth giving us a new one?' he thought, the silence of the Stephen's schoolmates continuing, making his heart heavy with sadness.

__

**~ Daiichi Heights ~****

- Top Floor, Apt. 717 -

"You told her off like that? Gary said, sounding a bit surprised and pleased at the same time.

Stephen thought about it for second, taking his time by doing another math problem, the looked back at Gary across the kitchen table. "Yes, just like that. I just couldn't stand how arrogant and unfeeling she was being, I just snapped. At least she's finally leaving me alone. She didn't bother me the rest of the day….she brought it on herself. Angie shouldn't have been so damned stubborn about a relationship that didn't exist. I don't feel sorry for her." Stephen spouted, doing another problem.

Gary hadn't been lying when he'd said his apartment was a mess, it really was. Mostly the living room was lined with paper filled boxes, some of his suit jackets and shirts draped clumsily over his only couch, a dark blue one that could very well fit at least four people. Gary had explained it was for company and folded out into a bed for such occasions, but his brother had been the only one to ever visit. 

The bathroom was in total disarray, the medicine cabinet stuffed with antiseptics, bandages, ointments, cotton swabs, and many other injury remedies. Stephen supposed Gary was still suffering from his injuries, ones he concealed under his clothing, and suffering quite a bit from the amount of used goods that were practically overflowing in his wastebasket. The sink was nearly plastered to death with toothpaste and mouthwash stains. Stephen wondered if Gary had cleaned this place since he moved in. 

Gary was still looking at him with uncertainty, as best Gary could manage with his sunglasses still on. Gary had never taken them off as long as Stephen had known him, and it bothered him. 'He's a bit morbid sometimes, more than me. Some people are like that when they don't like being around others, they use it to blot out their eyes so no can see their eyes….funny concept. But he's a good guy, for a loner.' He thought, completing his math problems with one last slash of his pencil.

"Not that I not happy you finally got her off your case, and probably mine, but the way you did it….sounds a bit cruel. Angela didn't make it easy for you, true enough, but don't you think it was a bit over the top harsh to hit." Gary said slowly, seeming to be thinking over his words as he said them.

Stephen sneered a bit at the implication, shutting his notebook rather roughly. "I don't think so….she gave me no choice. She's been hounding me for months and lying about us being a couple and God knows how many other things! I was sick and tired of it then and I still am now. I just didn't want it in my face anymore. She should have known better. Just cause I am a guy doesn't mean she can lie about something that has and will never happen. Girls don't like it when guys do it, why should a guy like it? Can we just get off the subject already, the last thing I want to talk about is Angie Furosuto." Stephen breathed out, his face growing annoyed.

Gary frowned at him and shrugged, leaning back slightly in his chair. "If that's how you want it, fine. I personally think you're taking your anger out on others. I saw Ray this afternoon on my way back from college and he looked like he'd been through a war. You give him all those bruises?" Gary replied, obviously not very keen on diverting from Stephen's apparent bad mood.

Stephen nodded slowly, rubbing the back of his neck thoughtfully. "I got carried away….maybe you're right. I have been taking my anger over Mark's death pretty hard….harder than most, but I have my reasons. I didn't mean to hurt Ray, our sparring matches just got a bit out of hand, mostly for me. He's a quick healer anyway….he'll live."

"He might not let you live come tomorrow." Gary commented, smirking. "Why do you say that?" Stephen asked.

Gary shook his head then rapped his knuckles on Stephen's forehead. "Its pretty obvious why, meathead. Ray looks at Angela the way Angela looks at you. He's got a crush on her….the moment he hears about what you did today, you'll be the one with all the bruises. I've seen ray in some fights at the arcade, he can be just as much of a pain as Angela can be. Just watch yourself next time you two spar, he might have just as much hate in him as you do during that time. Just some advice from your poor old friend." 

Stephen just eyed him a moment then looked thoughtfully at his books. "Sorry, man, I forget sometimes about what you said. It's just hard right now….it might take me a long time to get over this, as much as I can anyway," Stephen said softly, gathering up his books," I think we should consider this session over for now. I feel really tired all of a sudden."

Gary smiled warmly and patted Stephen's shoulder. "Sure, call your folks on the living room phone….," Gary began as Stephen got up, then suddenly gripped the white-haired student's arm," And Stephen, try and calm down a little. Some of us are trying to be helpful….don't abandon everyone over your pain or you'll wind up alone and hurting. Try to calm your anger, if not for yourself, then for me. Please, Stephen, Mark wouldn't want you to do this to yourself."

Stephen nodded with wide eyes, unsure of why Gary was being so personal. "Ok….I'll try my best, Gary. Now….I better call my parents before they leave and forget about me like last week. I was waiting on the sidewalk for two hours before I realized they weren't coming. Amazing how people forget you when they get invited to a charity auction with all the other rich people. It's infuriating, you know?"

Gary nodded and let go of his arm. Stephen gave a weak smile before turned around and walking out of the kitchen to make his call. 'At least Gary cares….at least someone cares….unlike my stubborn family. Thanks for the advice, Gary, but I need a little more time to work through this. Don't take offense to how I handle it, it's just me, it's not your fault." Stephen thought, picking up the receiver slowly and dialed home.

**_~ Shiba Park ~_**

Kitty lay in a rather sensual position in a lovely cherry tree her dark energy floating about her like evil tendrils of smoke and lightening. She was getting impatient. Xeno had said the keep of the red crystal of fire was due to be in the park, described as being a young man who came to the rose garden to sing. For as much talent as he had, the young man wouldn't show it off in public. Xeno had located in one of his sweeps of the city with his dark crystal, it had not been long before an image appeared above it, the red-haired youth with sparkling blue eyes and freckles. 

He didn't look like much to Kitty when he showed her, but she's been very angry with him for holding her back when she wanted to swoop in and take the crystal away. He had told her leaping out in public would attract too much unwanted attention, and she'd need utmost privacy and space to drag the crystal out of the worthless human body and control the powers the crystal had leaked into it. 

Xeno had stressed patience, something Kitty had, but waiting nearly a solid week to act upon this worthless sack of flesh was getting to her. Xeno had not reported back to her, saying when he'd left that he wanted to find every crystal before actually taking them out. "It will save us considerable time in going around frantically looking for these people randomly when we can do this in an orderly fashion, not something those wretched Galaxy Knights would expect." Xeno had said.

Kitty huffed at his superiority. He wasn't royalty he had no right to boss her around, only Specter did, and the Lord of Darkness had told her he wanted results. Kitty floated out of her tree, sick to death of waiting. She raised her sharp fingers up into the air and started a spell, only to get slapped in the back of the head.

"Xeno!! Kitty does not like to be kept in the dark. Kitty is annoyed with Knight Xeno ignoring Kitty!" she hissed, but the metallic-dressed Dark Knight just floated before her, indifferent with her ranting. "This crystal won't stop leading me back to the man with the red crystal inside him. This petty device is defective. Unless we gain his crystal, we won't find any others. I just came to give you permission to collect him yourself. But my way, your highness." Xeno said simply, the dark crystal held tightly between his fingers.

"Kitty can play with meat sacks now?" Kitty said sweetly, getting Xeno to grimace. "Yes, get to the brat with the crystal, he's by the lake right now singing. Use his powers to lure every male in Tokyo to this place…" Xeno told her.

"Kitty doesn't understand? Why lure in more male meat sacks when we only want one?" Kitty whined. Xeno sighed, tucking the dark crystal away in his pants. "You have two missions, to gather energy for the Dark Goddess and to kill the Galaxy Knights. If you lure in the males of this earthly area, Jupiter, Mars and Moon Knight will surely be among them. The crystal will definitely react to their unique auras, and when it does, you will drain them for all they are worth. The other males will be mere appetizers for our beloved Goddess. Do you understand now?" Xeno drawled out.

Kitty nodded and began to bounce around happily in mid-air, then teleported away in her usual fashion to where the singer was supposed to be. 'Finally, Kitty can play with meat sacks. Kitty can play with them to death.' She thought, laughing gleefully as she saw the man in question singing several feet below where she appeared.

~

Joseph Kanzaki sang his most serene to the only beings that didn't make him blush and sweat with fear, the animals of Shiba Park. He never could stand on a stage, as his parents wanted him to, to wow the crowds of adoring females with his voice. He got to flustered and light-headed with being stared at by so many wide and expectant eyes and would faint. His parents had been humiliated almost as much as he had with his fainting spells. His being so terribly shy ruined what his parents hoped to be a promising singing career.

The animals, the birds, the fish, the butterflies, and everything non-human of Shiba Park never made him feel that way, never expected anything from him. They didn't scream, their eyes weren't so demanding, they didn't treat him like something he had no desire to be, which was something more than he was. He just wanted to be a normal teenager with normal friends, to sing on his terms, not others.

Joe sighed, rubbing his chest gently as his song began to crescendo, making a few birds twitter furiously with him. Then he heard a high-pitched giggle, a female giggle. His singing instantly stopped and he turned bright red. 

"Kitty loves your beauty-fuller voice. Yes, yes, Kitty does." The voice chirped. Joe looked around, but couldn't seem to locate it. It sounded like it was everywhere, the laugh so high and sugary it could shatter glass. It was already doing a number on his hearing.

"Who? Kitty who? Where are you?" Joe gasped, whirling around again and again to find the laughing girl. With his third turn, he felt something scratch his head, a flow of warmth dripping down his head.

'Blood? I'm bleeding….' His mind raced, his hand touching the warm flow gently, slicking his hand up with the sticky redness. He looked up towards the source of the attack, his eyes widening fearfully at the site of the pretty young lady floating in mid-air, all dressed in a fluff encrusted leotard. Blood was drizzling down one of her right fingers.

"Oooo, Kitty likes red as much as Kitty likes white. Oh sweet. Kitty is going to relieve meat sack of precious fire demon crystal, then you will become Kitty's slave. Isn't that nice?" the young woman chirped, tackling him suddenly with frightening force to the ground. He was too shocked at the fact that she was floating to even fight her off.

His last sensation was a surging pain in his stomach as the young woman rammed her dainty, yet clawed, fists through his gut.

**_~ Shinden Fenikkusu Doujou~_**

(Sacred Phoenix Dojo**)**

- Next Day -

Stephen huffed as ray through another fury filled attack at him, getting caught in the ear in a poor attempt to dodge. Ray was very angry today, enough to wait outside Stephen's school to punch him in the face. That hadn't annoyed Stephen, he was more annoyed to find out why from Lamont, the only person that helped pick him up. According to Lamont, after Stephen had left the dojo to go to Gary's apartment, a very tearful Angela came running into the dojo. She practically threw herself at a startled ray and told him what Stephen had done and said that day.

Stephen had been extremely ready to tell Angela off later, but he hadn't seen her since yesterday. Then his hopes went to kicking Ray's butt for attacking him and letting Angela use him to get back at Stephen. It wasn't working, not the way Stephen had hoped.

Ray was a man possessed, taking every opportunity to bash Stephen's bones and tender areas to a pulp. It wasn't exactly a fair fight, Ray had more experience in martial arts than Stephen or Lamont did, and Lamont had gotten punched and kicked each time he tried to interfere with the match. Stephen had to admire Lamont for being so gutsy, the guy was a powerhouse for the tall and lithe youth he was, a bit taller than Stephen and ray to top it off, but Ray had more skill. That was what was costing both young men a lot of pain and agony, mostly for Stephen who was on the receiving end.

"Ray, stop it! This is enough! You know Angela only whined to you to get even with Stephen. She knew you'd fly off the handle, now stop this." Stephen growled, sweeping ray off his feet and onto his rear in a desperate attempt to stop his rage. It was short lived, as Ray curled on his back a bit and flipped back up to his feet to deliver a punishing blow to Stephen's chest. 

Stephen grunted in pain, falling backwards, smacking the side of his head on the wooden floor hard. He just lay there a moment, waiting for ray to take advantage of it, but all he heard was grumbling, then swearing from Lamont. Stephen looked up slightly, his eyes dully shining at Lamont holding a cursing Ray down, pressing his face down into the wooden floor.

"Stop this, you two. Stephen doesn't even love Angie, why are you two fighting like this. Ray. Where the honor in beating the crap out of your friend over a girl? Huh? She was just using you!! Stay still, Ray!" Lamont was yelling, nearly losing his hold on Ray's struggling form. Stephen got up quickly and aided his friend, the bruises and cuts on his own body healing slowly.

"He hit her, Lamont, that's where the honor is. She came to me, not you! He has to be taught some manners….all over mark, that's why the meathead is doing this. Hell, Gary calls you a meathead to be funny, but I mean it. You're dead from the neck up, you stupid, ditzy meathead! My friends died out there too, so did Lamont's, but how the hell do you know if Angie didn't see anyone she knew die? How do you know?" Ray spat, suddenly thrusting both young men off of him to tackled Stephen, holding him by his collar," You don't, meathead, but she told me she saw girls she knew since she was little die out there. But no, you only care about yourself and that Lady Glamour who you've never even been on a date with, let alone do you know who she is! No, all you cared about was yourself! You selfish bastard! She was hurt too, we all were, but only you mattered, you moron. You only cared about your damn self!"

Stephen just gaped at him, his mouth opening to say something, but nothing came out. 'Angela never said anything….how could I have known?….I didn't want to, did I? Damn you raven, why did you do this to us, why does the pain have to get worse?! Wh….' Stephen was thinking, then his thoughts started to muddle. He heard someone singing in his head, so sweet and serene that all of his thoughts left him at once. His eyes glazed, Ray's seemed to do the same. He got off him, but Stephen really didn't care or notice it much. He only wanted to reach the music he was hearing, at any cost. 

Just as quickly as he'd heard it, Stephen walked out of the dojo, a dreamy look on his face, seeking out the singer as if nothing else mattered. Nothing did matter, did it? No, Stephen now knew nothing mattered but this voice, he had to reach it soon. He had to belong to it.

**_~ The Furosuto Condo ~_**

- Next Evening -

Angela was sleeping the moment she got home, she didn't bother heading for the dojo like she always did. She didn't want to see what Ray would do to her Stephen, even if she was to blame for it. Angela had seen Ray punch him when school let out, and felt a bit guilty about antagonizing ray so much with what Stephen did. He was hurting that much was true, they all were, but she wanted to get on with life so she wouldn't be driven insane with guilt. She felt guilty enough that her mother never married, no father in the house to help raise her or tell her what a good job she did with her weight training and martial arts. Her mother always had something feminist to say about it," That'll teach those bigots what we Furosuto women are made of. No man will ever touch my daughter. Ah hah hah!"

It had been a good way to live for a while, until she hit age thirteen and everything in and on her body began to change. Her period had nearly scared her to death during gym class and she was so embarrassed she ran home crying. Her mother then told her about "that time of the month" and then never repeated it again. It was as if she expected Angela to know all about this. Then she matured physically and all the boys started pawing at her, forgetting how brutal and fight crazy she'd been as a pre-pubescent girl, their hormones on the rampage for a date with her, but her mother's words ran thick inside her mind. She wasn't going to let any man have her, never. It wasn't as easy as it sounded after a year or two after she turned thirteen.

Boys were interesting, but the majority only wanted to paw at her and use her for sex, something she couldn't tolerate. However, she had sincerely wanted a boyfriend, even if her mother wanted her never to depend on men for anything and live her life as she did. Angela had not pleased her when she'd made her ultimatum to the entire student body that only the man that could defeat her in a fight could date her. The thought of her daughter taking a beating at a man's hand highly incensed Ms. Furosuto, though Angela kept winning the date fights. Her mother was pleased for a while.

Then along came the most unlikely suitor, Stephen Sho Tsukikage, the school ditz and dreamer, one who had never shown any skill in fighting or notice of any of the weak girls adoring him. Angela thought he was gorgeous, but too much of a weak airhead for her tastes, until he defeated her, not even trying for a date. 

She'd found it romantic, in her own way, that he tried not to beat her bloody to win the fight and always went for the alternative of stunning her. He wasn't such an airhead after that and finding out he was some kind of super knight just iced her cake all the thicker. She fell madly in love with him, his skills, his looks, his voice, everything. He was so perfect.

Now he hated her, and had apparently never loved her the way she loved him all this time. Still, she wasn't going to give up. Deep down, she knew she had to have him, not just for his skills, but for him. He had a great body, she'd watched him sleep that one day he wouldn't answer her calls, one of many days. He was so solid and sleek, with a sexy slender build that looked terribly smooth and delicious. Watching Stephen train with the other boys was even better, him breaking a sweat, every single movement of his body, he was like a god to her, and he felt nothing for her but anger. She didn't understand, what was so wrong with her? 

**__**

Ring! Ring!

She looked up from her bed to her phone, staring at it a while. Maybe it was Ray to tell her what he did to Stephen at practice yesterday, and she almost cringed at the thought. No one had called her at all since the last time she saw Ray. They were all fast healers, even for teenage dynamos saving the world, but still, it took time. 

'Do I want to see my love ripped apart like that….over a slap? Snowflake is hurting…I didn't know Mark was that close to him….It's not my fault none of my friends weren't killed….I….don't have any but you guys.' She thought painfully. She had to face it sooner or later, so she grabbed up the phone and spoke. "Hello? Ray?"

A cough came, not Ray's voice at all. "No, it's Gary. Angela….I hope you're not doing anything today, but…."

'Gary? Is he asking me out? Oh, he's a hottie too….but he's so mysterious all the time. I can't even find out where he lives. Stephen wouldn't even share that hot stud's phone number….' She thought with starry eyes, then Gary's soft and nasally voice brought her out of her daydream.

"Angela? You there? I asked if you'd heard from Stephen today." He asked, breaking her dreams apart. "Damn, I mean….um, no, I haven't seen him since school yesterday."

"How about Ray or Lamont? Any of them seen him….I know bet you saw Ray yesterday, after what Stephen told me he did to you. Not like you didn't deserve it for being insensitive to him. He's still in mourning, you could have offered some condolences instead of drooling on him." He sassed, sounding a bit angry.

"Well, that's none of your business, but I haven't seen or heard from any one of them since yesterday. Ray was supposed to call me up last night about….some stuff, but he never did. Why?" she said, rather annoyed Gary was lecturing her.

"God, now I'm real worried. Stephen never showed up for his session today. I called his house and they told me he never came home last night from the dojo. I'm at the dojo right now and it seems Ray is gone too. His grandparents think they might have gone to a bar to get drunk, drown their sorrows, but I don't think so. Most of the guys in my classes were missing today too. I think something creepy is going on." Gary said, each word making Angela's heart sink.

"The guys are missing? I haven't kidnapped them, if that's what you are implying." She said defensively.

"No! I am not implying that, but I think I know where they are. I saw some guys wandering around Shiba Park on my way to the dojo, they looked really out of it, like zombies. I think the guys might be in there….oh, what's that sound?"

"Gary, hey Gary, what's wrong?" she asked, clutching onto the phone for dear life. Then her blood froze, a haunting melody reaching her ears. The phone on the other end clunked, then she heard nothing. "Gary? GARY!? Shit!" she swore, then hung the phone up.

"He said Shiba Park…I can get there if I run….Lady Mercury is going to teach those man stealers a lesson.!" She proclaimed and ran out of her room swiftly.

**__**

~ Shiba Park ~

Lady mercury arrived at the park in about a half-hour, as trying to find an alley to transform in privately was difficult with such busy streets. Near as she could recall, Shiba Park was off limits to the public until some kind of toxic spill was cleaned up, signs posted everywhere to ward people off, but it was probably another shoddy Dark Universe ploy. 

She got in without anyone noticing her, as flashy as she felt her costume was, but she managed. She moved through the lush cherry trees like a spider monkey, swift, yet silent, her eyes searching frantically for any sign of life. She found it sooner than she thought. 

Lady Mercury stopped in on tree as she saw a young man walk by, a familiar one. 'Ray? What's wrong with him?' she wondered. Ray had a very blank look on his face, more or less his pupils were whited out. Just like Gary had described, like zombies. She took to the ground and followed Ray to a larger group of males, one that nearly filled the entire picnic area of the park. They were squished together tighter than sardines in a can, and ray effortlessly went back with them, not even showing his discomfort or even pain at shoving himself between Lamont and another boy. 

As her eyes trailed, her heart leapt into her throat, seeing Stephen's familiar and beautiful face at last. His eyes were white too and he stood there listlessly, pinned between two brunette boys.

"Oh, Kitty is in heaven!! Kitty loves lots of meat sacks to play with. Kitty is going to play a lot with you." an overly sugared-up voice chirped above, and lady mercury barely had enough time to duck when she saw the fashion disaster in white float down in front of the mass of boys. It was like looking an adult form of a bleached Casey, showing off way too much and looking like a cutely shaved cat with a human head.

'Tasteless….' She thought sourly as the sugary female bounced happily from male to male, shoving a little round crystal in their faces. It was dark and had an 'X' of red slashed into it. Whatever it meant was alien to Lady Mercury, but Kitty started to speak again and made her senses go crazy.

"No, you're not Moon Knight, but Kitty will play with you when Xeno Knight's crystal counterpart glow, glow, glow! Oh yes, then we feast on his power and then his guts. Yes, it'll be raining red, Kitty likes that, yes she does." Kitty chirped madly, going to the next youth, Stephen only a few boys away from where Kitty stood.

'NO! She'll discover his identity if I don't stop her….I have to save him and get that crystal away from that….cat bitch on Pixie Stix.' She thought hard and stood up. In a second, the plan was in her head, rush the little sugar bitch and cut off her hand and get that crystal away from her, then they could all go home. 'And Stephen and I can talk…I don't want him mad at me. I didn't mean to hurt his feelings….but he meant to do it to mine….we have to talk!' she thought and charged.

She nearly reached Kitty when a white-hot pain slammed into her side, sending her rolling across the grass and into a tree trunk. As she steadied herself, she saw a massive and muscular looking monster with flames for hair. Most of his body was on fire, his clothing, everything was amber-red and flaming, all but the eyes, which were as blank and heartless as the zombie boys, only these were slanted with hate.

"Mistress Kittiana, the Knight of Mercury is here." It said, sounding like its voice was made of shattering glass. Kittiana looked back at them with genuine child-like curiosity, then grinned like a greedy child, stuffing the crystal down, what Angela supposed was, her tight and tacky shirt. 

"Oh, oh, oh, Kitty gets to play with a girl knight! Girl knights have more parts to rip off….yes, yes. Oh, you know what? You know what? Let's play a game, it's called "I'm going to pretend you Big Sister Raven and Kill You!' Doesn't that sound ever so wonderful? Kitty thinks you'll scream, scream for Kitty, please! Pretty please?" Kitty said, bouncing up and down. 

Lady Mercury stood up weakly, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. One of her ribs was broken from that thing's attack and she could feel a warm, yet slow, trickle of blood on her stomach. "Fine then, let's play, you walking fashion disaster! Hyah!" Mercury challenged, but Kitty just laughed, enough sugar in it to make her ears bleed.

"Oh, just die! Kitty wants you to die like Big Sister Raven! Splatter time!! Hee, hee, hee." Kitty giggled and lifted her hands up, claws bared.

Kitty charged her and took a few swiped, and got her nails nicked off. To Mercury's surprise, Kitty fell on her rump and wailed. "WAAAAAHHHH!! Infernos, burn that mean knight lady to a crisp, she broke my nails. WAAAHH!!" Kitty wailed.

Mercury was too dumbfounded by the evil brat's reaction to notice the monster was moving towards her. She barely had time to slice through another fireball attack and jump out of the way of his flaming fist. She landed behind Infernos as his massive flaming hand connected with the ground, melting through it for about a minute. Then his hand came out and backhanded her into another tree.

'I can't use my powers, not with all these people around….and my….my friends. I have to trust the sword….good always wins over evil, just think that. Good always wins over evil.' She thought, slashing the thing away with a few good strikes. No sooner had she stopped, it grabbed her by the front of her armor and threw her into the boys, right into Ray's chest. He just fell over, then didn't get up, staring blankly into the sky.

"Screw that, evil hurts like hell. Good's going to be tomato paste if someone doesn't help me!" she yelled, trying not to look at her friends, in fear she'd give them away.

Kitty was still wailing, so she doubted she saw anything, but Infernos was charging again, right for all of them. 'I can't protect them all….shit!' she thought, throwing herself over Ray to shield his trance-ridden body from the blow.

"ARGGGGHHH!!" the thing screamed, a slice of steel ringing in her ears, then a pair of hands yanked her off the ground.

"Do you always go in half-assed when you save the world, Lady Mercury?" a smooth and soft voice said.

Mercury's brow furrowed beneath her armored mask. 'Glamour, that upstaging bitch? Bring someone else in to help me, anyone but her!' she thought, and pulled violently out of Glamour's hold.

Glamour was frowning at her, not to normal haughty smile she had grown to loath the first time she saw Glamour. "Who asked your opinion of my methods? Go save a kitten from a tree or something, you'd be more suited to that sort of thing. Leave saving the universe to the experts." Mercury shot back, but Glamour merely frowned deeper.

~

Infernos' roaring stopped whatever she was going to say, the woman in black whirling about with a slash of her blade. "**_Crystal Cutter!_**" she shouted, the shards of energy crystals shooting into the monster's chest, sending him flying.

"We can't destroy him, he's a human being trapped inside his past form." Glamour stated,, holding her ground, sword held out for any new attacks.

"Past form? Where the hell do you get your info, lady?!" Mercury asked heatedly.

"I have dreams….a man telling me to find the Spectrum Crystals and they will lead me to the Soul Crystal that can banish Lord Specter from the Light Universe forever. There are seven crystals and that monster we were fighting has one of them inside him….or rather had it. If this bitch got to him for this long, she has the crystal of fire. I have to get those crystals, no matter what!" Glamour stated.

Mercury was ready to ask more, but the trees started to form a line of flames, Infernos charging out of the forest at full speed. "Oh shit! **_ICICLE DAGGERS!!_**" Mercury shouted, the ice shards racing towards Infernos' heated form. Only two made it to his body, stabbing into his red skin, while the others melted dead away. 

Infernos stopped short, slapping at the ice daggers protruding from his chest. He pulled one out and threw it at Mercury, and her blade deflected it, but the second was yanked and tossed at Glamour, who stepped back to deflect it better.

Glamour tripped over her own feet in the action, and then stepped on Mercury's foot. The action itself made Mercury yell in her ear and yank her foot away, knocking Glamour even more off balance and she fell backwards, right into one of the young men.

"L-Lady Glamour?" the boy said, and she dared to look up into those haunting icy blue eyes. He looked at her as if in a daze, his eyes not cold at all, but soft. She felt a pinch in her mind, that face, his eyes, that downy, shock white hair like purest snow. He was familiar to her, but who he was just wasn't coming to her, but he knew who she was. 'Probably saw me on TV….but why do I feel as if I know him from somewhere?' she thought, then felt him grip her hand, leaning towards her face, like he was going to kiss her. He didn't get to, a soft glow of white light surrounding them.

~

Kitty stopped crying when she felt the crystal against her small breasts thumping like a heartbeat. She pulled it out and saw it was glowing a gentle purple. 'Does this mean….the Earth Princess is near?' she wondered, then noticed the light of the crystal wasn't alone, there was white light emanating from the group. She tried to look past it, but couldn't it was too bright.

Then the crystal in her hand silenced, the white light going with it too, only leaving a stunned Mercury and that bitch Glamour standing by the group of awakening boys in her startled sights. Infernos was staring numbly at the group, not moving, his flames dying down.

Then a figure walked through the group, all clad in white and silver armor, looking dead at Infernos weakened form. "I've mourned the dead too much. It's time to live." Moon Knight said in a soft voice, making Kitty's innards sick. 'Lousy goodie, goodie, bastard! Now how am I supposed to know who he is if he transformed so darn far away. Phooey.' She thought, and teleported away as Moon Knight raised his sword above his head by Infernos.

~

Moon Knight looked down, very sorry he let his own anguish nearly cost this young man his soul, and eventually what would have spelled his life's end. In fact, if he'd just tried to get on with life, if not for his own sake, but for those that died and survived, he might have seen this coming, he might have spared some families a lot of worry, but that chance was gone. At least he was awake now and could mend the wounds his sorrow had allowed to form.

'Cyrus, you were right. I really am an idiot sometimes….I hope they can forgive me for what I've done.' He thought, looking with a sad smile at the quivering beast. "Time to go home….**_ Celestial Healing Light_**….Wake up." He said gently, the pale light tendrils of his sword surrounding the monster, embracing him with their power. 

As the light faded, Moon Knight saw a rather shaky, red-haired young man with sparkling blue eyes and freckles. He looked serene a moment later and sang. Moon Knight was a bit puzzled, but the song was quite nice, one that sounded like a love song, just like on TV, but better. It made Moon Knight's heart swell as the young man sang for him, probably not even knowing they were there.

When the melody ended, the youth opened his eyes and gasped. He blushed a bit, but Moon Knight smiled at him, bowing his head. "You've got a lot of talent. How come I've never seen you perform?" Moon Knight asked, ignoring a grumble from Mercury.

"I….you're the Moon Knight. The super hero….why are you….in the park with me?" he asked, still a little nervous.

"You were made to do bad things for our enemy, but….I helped you fight back. You can go home now….as long as you promise me something." Moon Knight said.

"Sure, anything for the guy that saved me." he said, his voice gaining strength. "Sing to people, show them your talent here….in the park. You just sang to a lot of people recently….I don't think you should hide your gift from people. You're denying the world….that beauty. Please….promise me that." Moon Knight said gently. He thought the youth would deny him that and run off, but the young man nodded, not a bit of hesitation in his body.

"Good, now go back to your family. We all have a lot of….healing to do." Moon Knight replied, and walked away, past Mercury, Lamont, and Ray. He stopped moment, looking at the spot he and Glamour had been in a few minutes ago. She wasn't there anymore, but he knew what she said. He knew what was happening to him the moment she arrived time, he was simply powerless to act to act before. "Who are you, Lady Glamour? Where are you?" he wondered aloud, then continued to walk out of the park, his friends following slowly at his heels.

**_~ Next Day ~_**

Stephen and Ray stood side by side, Angela on Ray's side and Lamont next to her, all watching that red-headed boy from yesterday standing on a wooden box with a microphone. Street performers came into the park to play for pay, but the nervous singer had explained this was a free concert, for the Galaxy Knights that saved his and many the boys' lives the night before. Many of the boys who had been lured to the park by Infernos and that weirdo Dark Universe princess Kitty were here today, probably for the same reason as the singer, to be sure everything was all right.

'Spectrum Crystals….why are you so hell bent on getting them, Lady Glamour? It can't just be for Specter's death, there has to be more too it. What is so special about them?' he thought faintly, biting his lip at what he'd been told on the way home.

Stephen didn't care his parents didn't believe he'd been kidnapped and grounded him for a week. He was just glad to be home and intact, and able to consider their next move for these crystals He'd called Gary up from school to come to the park after school, that there would be quite a show. Gary wasn't there yet, and the boy, Joseph, was about to start singing.

'Knowing Gary, he's watching from afar. He seems to do that best,' Stephen thought, still kicking himself for being as total ass to everyone," At least he's forgiven me. Lamont has too….but Ray might take longer. Maybe I'll try and set him up with Angie, he seems to like her more than I ever will….Angie….I was pretty lousy to her but….I can't ask to be forgiven, not now. I'll give it some time. I just need a little time.'

"Thank you all for coming. I wrote this song last night in a bit of a hurry, but after what the Moon Knight did for us….and that woman with him, Lady Glamour. He seemed to obviously be so….into her….it was like watching a fairytale romance when he looked for her. But the song is about that lady in blue, Lady Mercury, she looked very jealous of them….and I'm sorry such a beautiful woman like her has to feel that way. I'd gladly go out with her. So this is for her, my 'Soldier of Love.' For Lady Mercury, wherever you are."

"Rotten brat, how dare he call me jealous? I helped save his sorry ass too, dammit, of!" Angie growled softly, then yelped, Lamont elbowing her. "Oh jeez, Angie, stop it, he's got the hots for you. Kissy, kissy! Ow! Hey!" Lamont tried, but she started to hit him and he reacted by protecting himself as Joseph began to sing, all movement stopping at once.

__

Into the sky my hair bursts afire.

My body is just like a flame.

Oh no, why is it turning out like this?

Now I'm really burning up inside.

While I am in love, and feeling heartache,   
Even though I want to have sweet dreams,  
They will not allow it, this is their fault….

As I thought, it is I who must do this,   
By my own hand I will crush evil into defeat!   
That's right, until then, I must persevere!   
Awaken now, soldier of blue! 

No matter how bad a person you are   
If I love you, I will believe in you 

Trying to take advantage of that,   
Is something that you must not do….

I always want to protect you,   
For you I will go leaping forward,   
Only love is unlimited energy!

__

Come on, it is we who must do this…._   
We will show them the pure hearts that girls have!   
Whatever we do, in everything, we must persevere!   
Vowing in our hearts, soldiers of love!!_

Come on, it is we who must do this…._   
By our own hands we will crush evil into defeat!  
That's right, until then, we must persevere!   
Awaken now, soldiers of love!!!!_

The park erupted with deafening clapping and cheers, encores galore ringing out from the crowd of people before him. Joseph blushed and took a bow, looking happier than he'd ever looked in a long time.

"That was….beautiful…." Angie said softly, and Stephen felt relieved she wasn't on him about it. He didn't think the guy would fall for Angie like he did, well, Lady Mercury to be specific, but it turned out well.

"Why can't you sing to me like that, Stephen-sama?" she asked sweetly, looking around a flustered Ray. Stephen looked away, putting his back to her. "Oh Angie, get your hands off Ray-san's belt. You're making him turn red." Lamont teased.

Angie's face went several shades of red before she tried to pounce on Lamont, who ran off laughing. "Oh come on now, are you going to throw yourself at all of us from now on, Angie? Or your singing boyfriend up there?" Lamont teased, Angie chasing him around a tree.

"Nothing lasts forever, does it?" Stephen sighed, more to himself than Ray, who grumbled at him. "I'm sorry for what I did to her, ray, I wasn't myself. I never should have hit her. I was too engrossed in self-pity and guilt to see I was angrier at myself than anyone else. I'm sorry, I know how you feel about her, as much as it makes me cringe, but….I should never have hit her." Stephen added gently, bracing himself for a beating.

Ray was looking at him oddly, then looked back at Angie as she nearly got Lamont by his collar. "It….thanks for the apology, but you should apologize to her too. She really loves you." Ray said, a bit sad.

**__**

"But I don't love her that way….you do. Personally, I don't think she's the one for either of us. The one that gets her….will either be very stupid or very patient. Sorry, but Angie has her quirks, only hers are more prominent than ours are. She's just not my type….but being her friend might not be so terrible. Can we just leave it at that, Ray?" Stephen asked, extending his hand. Ray looked at it, then smiled, reaching out and shaking Stephen's hand warmly.

As they did so, Gary stood within the first, leaning against a tree as he watched the concert and display from afar. He smiled.

**__**

Note: Described in this chapter was how some actual Japanese funerals are, not all, it varies. This is Buddhist style if anyone is wondering. With the current rate of exchange, I've found that $188.67 ($188.667) in American currency is 20,000 in Japanese yen, what guests at a funeral pay the family of the deceased in respect. I researched it, so no saying this is all lies. Cemetery Tokyo is also a real cemetery in Tokyo, for those that think its not. 

** Inabikari means flash of lightning**.**

** = **Daiichi-Keihin Ave** is the street on which Gary lives, near **Shiba Park**, which** Tokyo Tower** overlooks.

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bokken* = Japanese for 'wooden swords.'


	15. Ch 15 Aquarium Sanitarium

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the "Sailor Moon" series **__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the** "Sailor Moon" **series. This goes along the lines of the original series, but an alternate dimension. Trust me, eventually, my knights will meet the scouts. Patience is a virtue, so awaiting that moment won't be so bad. REVIEW!!

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Chapter 15

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Aquarium Sanitarium 

~ The International Aquarium **_~_**

- Higashi Ikebukuro, Tokyo -

**- Midnight -**

Marina Torino locked up the gift shop as she left her job. Some silly kid had puked on the carpet as the place was closing, the little beast getting his last bit of disturbing behavior in right before he got out the door. Most kids at the aquarium were rotten beasts, especially those visiting from schools. Those little monsters tried stealing the fish, crabs and turtles. Ten had been caught today, expelling five different schools from ever returning until the boys and girls were kicked out or punished severely for their actions. 

This boy had come in screaming he didn't want to be there by an overprotective and zealous mother. After a while, the kid got ice cream, then chocolate, then grilled cheese, then his juice encrusted fingerprints and smears all over the glass tanks, the walls, a water fountain, making the janitorial service nearly quit because the boy was making a mess nearly every five minutes. His Mom decided to 'let him explore' without her holding his hand and nearly broke priceless items found in the sea, broke the smaller tanks by throwing whatever toy of the hour he had, messing his pants and getting the stains all over the carpet. The boy was just a problem beyond measure and wasn't going to be good or clean the entire time. 

When they finally left, all the crap the kid ate came up as his mother tried leaving with all the other late nighter's, the puke missing her by and inch and flooding over Marina's. 

She was glad the day was over, but still pissed that the staff of the shop left her behind to clean up the mess. "I hope when I have kids, a nanny takes care of them. Yucky brat." She sighed, washing her hands a fifth time in the outside water fountain, still feeling the funk of that kid's cravings under her nails. They were painted pale blue this morning, but now they were faded and cracked from so much work.

She just wanted to get home and think about her other problems, like Lamont Inabikari, her sort of boyfriend. They had been dating for a short time, and he was fine at first, then she heard rumors he had a horrible temper and beat people up in his old school, even a cop. She didn't want a bully or a brute as a boyfriend. She was going to tell him they had to break up tomorrow. He had told her he wanted to discuss something with her, to help a friend of his.

Lamont was certainly helpful, but it could all be an act just to get her in bed and knocked up so he could beat her after he was forced to marry her. Her grandfather had done that to her mother, and he was paralyzed and in a home now. Mother was safe the moment she got to father, away from grandpa. She had heard her mother cry at night over that, she didn't want to suffer like her mother did ever. It had to be done, even if it was a little hasty. She had to protect herself or she'd never live a good life.

As she reached her car, she heard a child's laugh, the light pitter-patter of bare feet and boots. She didn't see any reflections in the glass, so she started to unlock it, but the noise got closer, images fluttering in the glass suddenly.

Then she heard something like metal slashing against metal and loud panther scream. She whirled around, her blonde hair blinding her vision a moment, only to fall away in the wind to reveal two figures, one tall and slim and the other a head shorter and….fluffy?

"She's Jaws, Princess Kittiana. The keeper of the Crystal of Water." The tall, silver clothed cyber punk male said, his voice like ice. The other one was female, a girl dressed in gaudy clothing that didn't even flatter, bounced up and down like a sugar-rush toddler. "Oh boy, Oh boy, Knight Xeno! Kitty gets to play with the fishes. Oh Boy! Oh Joy! Oh! OH! COME PLAY WITH KITTY!!" she screeched, suddenly ramming Marina against the car, shoving her dainty little clawed hand through Marina's chest.

"GIMMIE! GIMMIE!" Kitty screeched, the fangs in the little fluffy psycho girl's mouth Marina's last sight.

__

**- One Week Later -**

~ Dream ~

Stephen walked through what he'd thought was his house, but the place wasn't as fancy in the décor. It was pretty ordinary, like Lamont's place. His icy blue eyes scanned over himself and started a bit to see he was in his boxers. 'A dream….why the hell would a dream of a house?' he thought, but plodded on, walking towards the cheap carpet covered stairs. He saw pictures on the table near it, pictures of a family he didn't know. There was man with glasses and dark who looked overly happy, embracing his wife. Her hair was sort of blue and she looked so pleasant. It didn't look like his mom, more like his Home Economics teacher, the same cheery and bubbly look on her face. 

Below them were their children, a teenage girl and young boy about Casey's age, judging from his height. He had short brown hair and the same darling eyes, making him ill. 'Can't be two of them….that'd be a nightmare.' He shuddered, then looked at the girl. His face screwed up as he did, so he had to pick the picture frame up to make sure he wasn't hallucinating too badly. She had buns on her head, a blonde girl with two extra long pigtails erupting from these….these. "Meatballs….dammit, she made meatball shapes on her hair? She looks so….ugh….bubbly." he said aloud, a little confused. Her face was overly pleasant, and eyes as blue as the sky. 

She was in a school uniform, much like the one Angie and the other girls wore, but something about her told him she wasn't just a normal happy girl. He more so felt it in the back of his mind, nagging him.

Then the glass of the frame shattered, startling him so bad he dropped it. The picture clattered to the ground face up, the shattering spider web spiraling from the girl's face. He waited a moment, and the glass began to reverse the effect, repairing the glass, but the picture was different.

It was his family, his face where the girl's was and Casey's where the little boy's was. He visibly shuddered, thinking he should swear off midnight sushi snacks from now on. They were just making his dreams hard to stomach these days. He backed away from it and went up the stairs, to go for his room, where pictures didn't freak out and break for no reason, where his head wasn't lost in this insanity.

He reached his room and was puzzled to see a cute kitty doll head on the door. It had a little nameplate of wood that said '**_Serena's Room_**.' 

'Serena? Who the fuck is Serena?' he thought, shoving the door open. He stopped halfway in, approaching the occupied bed slowly. The room was entirely too different. The closet was half-way open and comic books were spilling out of it like a flood, panties and petty pink, yellow and green shirts and matching skirts were either hung over the nightstand or strewn all over the floor. The room looked like several girls had come in and exploded, leaving their clothing behind. Some half-eaten candy boxes were among the scattered clothing, and an empty sushi tray. It was still fresh since it hadn't begun to stink just yet.

Stephen let his eyes travel back to the bed, shifting uncomfortably as he got right at the foot of it. The girl from the picture was in it, in pink moon studded pajamas. This was the Serena the door alerted him to, the same meatballs on her head from the picture, as if they'd been styled with super glue. Not a single hair was out of place. She looked like an innocent angel as she slept, what his mother used to say about him, until Casey was born, until Stephen started to get pushed aside. 

He didn't hate Casey for getting all the attention really, he just resented how his parents forgot him so quickly since Casey liked all the snob crap and he didn't. He wanted to be a normal boy, to grow up his way, not theirs. 

He wondered why he was dreaming of this girl, why her house was like his, all be it more normal looking. Then he got an idea. Stephen pulled the covers up from the foot up the bed and gave it a yank, just to see what would happen.

He regretted it when the girl jumped ten feet out of her bed screaming, the noise nearly making his ears bleed. He swiftly wrapped the covers about his half-naked body, not wanting her to scream pervert or for help that she didn't need, not just yet.

"Wha? Huh? Num, num, Luna, did you steal the sheets again. I was having a quite lovely dream about Tuxedo Mask and if you ruined it. You have plenty of fur….-gasp- A guy!" she yelped, her cheery voice sorely reminding him a watered down version of Kitty.

He winced a bit, opening his pale icy blue eyes to her sky blues. He grimaces when he saw she was smiling open mouthed at him, her hands clasped on her cheeks.

"What a babe!" she crooned, but stayed on the bed, thankfully. He didn't back up, but he was sick of weird girls hitting on him. She wasn't as bad, it was just her sunny disposition than made him violently ill. "You're Serena, right? Like it says on the door?" he asked stupidly, shaking his head to stop the ringing sound.

Her love struck look faded, but still looked still quite happy. She crawled across her bed to sit just in front of him, smiling. "Yeah, that's me. Serena Tsukino. Who are you? Hey, wait a second, what are you doing in a lady's bedroom wearing her sheets?" she huffed suddenly, wrinkling her nose at him.

"I don't know. All I know is I went to sleep in that bed you're on….in MY house, and I wake up in the living room and my house turned into yours. This is some crazy dream from eating too much sushi before bed. Why else would dream about a ditzy meatball head?!" he shot back, annoyed she was accusing him of things.

"MEATBALL HEAD!? Ugh, you must be one of Darien's friends. He told you about that silly nickname he gave me and you just came in here to tease me. Why do all the hottie's have to be creeps like dumb old Darien….you…whoever you are?" she said tersely.

Stephen frowned at her and shook his head. "I don't know anyone named Darien, but I think I'd commend him on the good nickname choice for that silly hairstyle, Serena. And the name's Stephen, Stephen Tsukikage."

"That's almost like my last name….but….your hair is funny. You look like you have snowflakes on your head." She giggled. Her mood changes were making him dizzy, but he did not like Angie's nickname haunting him.

"A snowflake? Ick….you sound like that brute Angie now. How the heck do I get out of this weirdo place. I want to be back home, not here. As rotten as my life is, I'd rather be there than worrying about getting arrested for appearing in a young woman's house." Stephen replied

"You think I'm a young woman. Not even my brother Sammy or my mother say that." She stated, and her tone was light, not cynical. He looked at her a moment, fearful she'd attack him for some inane reason. She looked ready to pounce him for something. He shrugged, losing his hold a moment on the sheets, revealing his pendant to her.

"Oh, what a pretty pendant. It's almost as pretty as my Moon Wand….oops." she said, then covered her mouth. "Moon….Wand?" he said with interest, touching his pendant, then looked at it. 'Are we connected somehow? Is she a knight like me? What's this supposed to mean?' he thought, looking back at the girl. "Are you….a Galaxy Knight?" he asked tentatively. She blinked at him, not seeming to understand, but reached one smooth, creamy hand out to him.

After a moment, he reached out too, his fingertips barely brushing against hers. Then, his pendant glowed, and the room was taken down by darkness.

**_~ Serena's Room ~_**

"OH!" Serena breathed, shooting out of bed, her fingertips alive with unseen flames as she put them to her heaving chest. Luna sat up at the sudden movement, and Serena could barely see the concern in her eyes. Serena was too startled. That young man in her dreams, that gorgeous young man with hair like purest snow and eyes like frozen turquoise lakes, still and soothing to her heart. Was he a Sailor Scout, were there male Sailor Scouts out there? Luna would know.

She lifted her head up to at last see her guardian cat staring at her, nervous and worried. "What is it, Serena? I've never seen you so…flustered. Was it a nightmare?" she asked, her lovely British accent soothing Serena's nerves slightly. Serena looked at her fingertips, the ones that had touch the boy's, and put them to her face with a gentle smile.

"No….not a nightmare. There was a boy in my dreams, so incredibly beautiful….even better than Tuxedo Mask. His hair was so white and his eyes were so blue, I can't even begin to describe the color at all. Luna….are there any male Sailor Scouts? He was wearing a pendant of a sword embedded in this colorful orb. The sword had a heart on the hilt….He said this house was his house and he got sent to mine. Does it make any sense to you?"

Luna frowned, as best a cat could manage not having lips. "Serena, you should honestly stop eating so many sweets and sushi trays before bed. You'll make yourself dream up all sorts of nonsense. No, there are no male scouts I am aware of, but it does intrigue me that you said he looked better than the love of your supposed life." Luna replied.

Serena smacked the cat with her pillow and then flopped back onto her bed. "I was just trying to be descriptive. Let's just get back to sleep. I have to go over to Molly's house tomorrow. She's still so torn up about Nephlite's death and we've got some weirdo lady general running around ripping jewels out of people's chests. Gamer Joe was sure lucky we found Lita when we did or he'd be that tasteless game monster forever." Serena muttered, yawning a bit, but he mind was still on the odd dream of that boy, the boy with the haunting eyes, and looked so much like an angel from storybooks. 

She drifted back to sleep soundlessly, until she fully fell back into normal dreams, snoring the night away and keeping Luna up all night.

**_ - Same time -_**

~ Stephen Room ~

Stephen's eyes snapped up, his hand tingling a bit where the dream girl had touched him. He sat up slowly, and saw Cyrus sleeping at the foot of his bed. He smirked at it and picked the cat up, plopping it atop his hamper. Cyrus stirred a bit, muttering about fish and Fancy Feast. 'Like it'll happen. You're lucky I feed you at all. It's not so bad sharing my sushi with me and some generic cat food. I'm not importing American cat food for you, spoiled brat.' He thought crassly, sliding back into his bed. He wouldn't bother Cyrus with his dream, he could deal with it. He had to learn to deal with things on his own better, and he couldn't get anyone's help. He'd always depended on himself in the past, and it had gotten him this far.

With all the lunacy that had happened a week ago, he felt lucky to even be about to walk. Kitty was unstable, that much he had learned from Angie, but she was going to the double date Lamont had cooked up for himself and Stephen. Stephen cringed at the thought until Lamont told him it was a set-up to get her and Ray on a date, to see if Ray would still pursue her. All Stephen had to do was get sick a few days before the date, or rather pretend he was sick, and ask Ray to take his place. It had all been so simple, and it had worked. Yesterday he faked getting a cold, though he felt miserable having onions and all such nasty things shoved in his face after school by Lamont to make it more believable. 

At least Angie and Ray had bought it, so Stephen was free and clear of dating her, but it turned out Lamont's date was just a lucky break for Cyrus to plan things for the next Crystal. Cyrus felt one was near the aquarium the date was set up to take place in. The International Aquarium** had been suffering from mysterious disappearances of couple visitors, young and old. One survivor, who disappeared shortly afterwards, claimed it was a fish monster that came out of the tanks suddenly and stole away the patrons back into the tanks, where it vanished.

No one was taking it seriously though, since not many people had disappeared and most of them were labeled as unstable. It was true, the police reports on TV said those that had vanished had histories of running away from home, leaving town without notice, even the survivor was considered a flight risk.

It was lucky Lamont's new girlfriend, Marina, worked at the Aquarium as a part-timer at the gift shop, so she got free tours if she wanted them. Stephen couldn't recall how long Lamont had been dating her, but it probably wasn't more than a week. Stephen had never met her, but he knew one thing without even having to ask, this girl had to be blonde, Lamont's personal romantic weakness.

The date was tomorrow, and he'd be going to the aquarium as well, but not for looking at the fish and exhibits or even the lousy date, he was going undercover to find out where the monster was, and then, find its master, Kitty.

He nestled himself back under the covers, but he couldn't get back to sleep. He was still disturbed by his dream. 'Why can't I be normal?' he thought, slamming his fists onto the bed, his face growing angry, but he knew it was useless. He was Moon Knight, this was as normal as life got for him.

**_~ The International Aquarium_** **_~_**

- Higashi Ikebukuro, Tokyo -

"I hate fish." Angie announced as they walked inside, Lamont showing the young man their free passes. Ray sighed, after trying for a last time to get arm and arm with her and take her hand, only to get avoided for the tenth time. This wasn't going like he'd hoped. He was sorry Stephen went home sick and couldn't make it, and Angie was even more upset, but she was much more vocal that she didn't want to go without her 'Snowflake.' All the way to the aquarium Angie had complained about something, the fish hatred was new cause there was no going back, but she was being a terrible brat over everything. Stephen was the subject on her mind, and not having him around pissed her off, as if to say "How dare he get sick!"

Ray wondered a moment if what Stephen said about Angie being a stubborn pain being true, her looks being great, but her attitude was lacking. He shrugged it off, this was the chance of a lifetime to have a date with Angela Furasoto, something not many could say cause they were either too bruised from leaving her or had moved.

He just had to see what Angie was really about, and the fact that she was strong and pretty made everything worth the risk of broken bones. He took injury with stride even before he became a Galaxy Knight, he could take whatever Angie threw at him.

"RAY!" Angie glowered, snapping him from his thoughts. He felt her tug on his right arm, rather hard. He looked about, not about to step in an enclosure or tank or anything. They were all still in the main hallway.

"What?" he asked. Her lip upturned sourly. "We have to wait here for Lamont's blonde of the week." Angie replied tersely.

Lamont wasn't far off and cringed as she spoke, looking back at her with a brutal vengeance in his eyes. "Watch your mouth, Angie. I really like this girl. Marina is real pearl, and she's going to be marine biologist someday." 

"Practicing her profession in the gift shop where she says "Here's your change,' is very good practice for that." Angie sneered, obviously not enjoying herself. Lamont sniffed at her and went back to looking about for his date. "You're just peeved cause it's that time of the month for you 24/7." He mumbled, but Angie heard him, squeezing on Ray's arm extra hard. He yelped and told her to stop, but she wouldn't, nearly dragging him towards Lamont to bash the boy upside the head with Ray's body.

Ray sighed in relief as a beautiful blonde girl with blue eyes came running towards them, far different from the picture Lamont had put in their heads of her. "Lamont, honey!" she shouted, wearing a very sexy blue jacket and skirt, high heels, and even earrings of little waves. She had lovely make-up on, but in Ray's opinion, it was really too much. The way Lamont had described Marina, Ray figured she was a more conservative girl, not a fashion model escapee. 

Lamont didn't seem too stunned, but he didn't even move to kiss the girl as she came right at him, kissing him deeply for all to see. Lamont finally remembered himself and pried her off, his eyes full of wonder. "Marina, I thought I wasn't supposed to kiss you in this place. Your boss'll have a fit if he saw." Lamont whispered, then got silenced by another kiss.

"Let him see….I love you, Lamont." She mumbled against his lips. He sputtered a bit, then gave in, kissing her back. It lasted a few minutes, everyone in the place staring at them and whispering back and forth, some being good, but most were bad.

Finally, the two broke apart and went arm in arm, looking at a stunned Ray and Angela. 'Oh, these must be Stephen and Angela. You make such a lovely couple." She commented, almost too sensually.

"Uh….Stephen got sick, itooshi kin, this is my other friend, Ray. He goes to military school….and he's taking Stephen's place as the good friend he is." Lamont explained. Marina just nodded as if it was an improvement, making Angie growl, cut she still had a grip on his arm. At least he hadn't had to try to do it on his own and fail. He wouldn't remind her about it, lest she tear his arm off.

"Well, come on! There is so much to do today, but we have to keep to an even schedule….," she said, pulling Lamont away to a tank full of dolphins," Or the stupid urban legend fish monster will pull you into one of our tanks and keep you there forever as a snack." 

Ray perked as she said that, his words halted when Angie yanked him along herself very hard to keep up. Once they were back with the doting pair, he took his chance. "I'd like to hear this urban legend. We're discussing them in my psychology class." Ray lied.

Marina looked at him sharply, then up and down. "You're very strong….you know."

Ray blushed at the answer, and went redder when Angie said," My Snowflake is stronger. He's just a replacement date. I didn't want to go with him."

'That hurt….I don't stand a chance against a guy who doesn't even want to date you.' Ray thought sourly, yanking his arm free from her. "I would like to hear about it, if you don't mind."

Marina shrugged, then reached into the water to pet a dolphin. As soon as she touched the water, every dolphin in the tank swam to the opposite side, clicking and screeching loudly. "What's up with them, Marina?" Lamont asked, then yelped as he was pulled away again.

"How should I know why those stupid things do anything?" she said sourly.

"This girl is going to be a marine biologist and she can't stand even dolphins? What's up with this girl?" Ray said aloud.

"Maybe the Dark Universe is here after all and got to her somehow. We have to make her tell us what this legend is and about the disappearances." Angie said vigorously, and started to march right for Marina and Lamont, but Ray stopped her, grabbing her arm. He pulled her off towards the tropical fish exhibit, rainbow's of little fish swimming past the two as ray pressed Angie against the glass.

"Either let go or pull back a stump, Ray….I'm warning you." Angie seethed. "And I'm warning you not to risk a lot of innocent life. If she is in league with the Dark Universe, she might use any one of the visitors here as a hostage, or hell, kill them all for annoying her. We have to take this slow, drag piece by piece out or we'll never learn anything, Angie!" Ray said in a hushed and urgent tone," Let's get the facts from her, as many as we can, then lead her off somewhere where there are no people, or the outdoors, and confront her. I know it'll be a kick in the ass for Lamont, but if she's evil, we have to do this delicately or we'll get a lot of people killed."

He waited a moment as his work sunk into Angie's head, then slowly released her. He sighed gently when she nodded, then she slapped him. "What was that for?" he yelped, grabbing his sore cheek.

"Never touch me again, you creep. Or I'll beat you to a pulp. We'll do it your way, but don't you dare try and touch me again." She seethed, and stalked off towards Lamont and Marina, who were making out again.

"Stephen, maybe you were onto something after all….ouch, man, can she hit." Ray mumbled, trailing behind the orchid haired terror.

~

Marina was in energy heaven, this Lamont was utterly delicious. His love energy was the strongest she'd ever felt in 10,000 years. She was practically gorging on it with every kiss and he didn't even noticed it. 'Stupid human.' She thought, partaking in another foul tasting contact with the lovely human's lips, more energy pouring down her throat. He'd nearly felt the drain the first kiss she'd given him, so she made sure to take a little at a time. Every time she took some, more would replace it. He would last centuries if she took her time, but the Dark Goddess lacked such luxuries. 

She stopped kissing him when someone tapped her on the shoulder. It was that Angie female. She had lots of energy too, but Mistress Kitty had told her only men. Perhaps she could present this female as a gift to Lord Specter. Maybe she was the Earth Princess he wanted, she had enough energy, but Mistress Kitty would have alerted her by now if she was. Still, she'd be amusing for the Dark Lord. 

That Ray male was coming too, his cheek red and being cradled so weakly, she could only describe pathetic coddling as human. He had nearly as much energy as Lamont did, but the one called Ray was boundlessly filled with sad and angry energy, aimed towards the Angela female. She was the cause of the silly red mark and most of his distress. Not that it mattered, they would all be meals to the Dark Universe by the end of the tour. She merely needed to lead them in the right places.

"Say Ray, you want to hear about that urban legend stuff so bad, I can take you to the guy that said he saw it." Marina lied sweetly.

Ray perked up, taking his hand away from his now creamy cheek. "Really?" he asked, hopeful and bright. 'Sickening….good, that means he's stupid too. Perfect….' She thought, then smiled.

"Sure, but we have to go through the tour first. He is out by the seal show, and that's the last stop of the tour. So, let's have fun today, then we can do your boring little homework stuff." She mock teased. Ray shrugged and gestured for her to go ahead. "As long as I get to talk to this person. Let's get started." He said.

"All right. Let's have a tour to remember…." She beamed, then added quietly," Cause it'll be the last thing you'll ever see."

**__**

~ Tsukikage Household ~

"Come on now, you took your time getting up today again. Time to transform and help your friends…." Cyrus scolded, sitting by the toilet as Stephen stared at himself crassly in the mirror, holding up his pendant.

"Fine, what do I turn into this time that doesn't look like me….hmm? Should I be a photographer, an old man, or a little kid. Maybe a pilot? What? Hmm?" Stephen sighed.

"Try something no one would suspect even you as. Like a human being." Cyrus commented dryly. Stephen glowered at him, but held the pendant out anyway. "**_Transformation Sphere_**, _make me look like_…._something no one would recognize me as!_" **_ARGGHHH!!_**"

The light of the sphere filled the entire bathroom, the filtered away. "Oh….snicker….dear gods….pffft, no one would recognize you like that. Ahahahahahahaaa!" Cyrus chortled, rolling around so much laughing, he nearly fell into the toilet.

Stephen opened his now blue eyes, seeing a bit lavender tinted white hair, then screamed when he saw the rest of himself. "AHHH!! It turned me into a girl!! With meatballs on my head! IEEE!!" he howled, in his own voice, then went to trying to strangle Cyrus," You stupid cat! You gave me this piece of junk, fix me! I have breasts, dammit! Get them off!"

Cyrus gagged a bit, then bit Stephen's now even slimmer hands and raced to the bathroom door, which was still, and regretfully, shut. "I'm not the one who told the crystal that stuff. It must have been on your mind, but where you met a young lady with such odd taste in hair styles, I don't wanna know." The cat hissed.

Stephen looked at himself, or rather herself in the mirror again. He looked almost like Serena, except for the hair color, the eyes and style were the same as her though, but dealing with having such a girly figure was something he never wanted to have to live down. He'd been mistaken for a little girl when he was still a child and in his early teens. He had that sort of figure, his hands were slim, so was his slender build, but the short hair sort of helped people know he was male. Now he looked a lot like a real girl, wearing a lovely sleeveless pink tank top and a soft, knee touching skirt. He had very cute pink shoes and socks with little hello kitty clips on them. 'I feel like a reject from a bad manga.' He thought sourly. His pendant was still out, so he did his best to tuck it into the tank top, without touching the illusionary breasts he was sporting. The chest was the only other difference in his fake appearance compared to Serena's. The chest size he had was a little bigger, almost like Glamour's. 

The pendant was easy to hide, cause this body wasn't capable of feeling being touched. Only a little of the illusion cleavage showed, but there was enough of the tank top to go around to hide at least the pendant part.

"Next time, I am going to be specific. This sucks….I'm a meatball head, with clashing taste too….why couldn't this form wear a less….showy short."

"Someone doesn't like you?" Cyrus asked pleasantly. Stephen grabbed Cyrus up by the back and yanked him out of the bathroom for his sister's room, happy his parents and Casey had all gone to a game of bridge. He really didn't want them seeing this. He'd get into trouble even if he told the truth. "I know someone doesn't like me….and right now, I don't care much for you, so you're riding in my sister's backpack for acting smart with me." Stephen replied, snickering as he picked up the pink and tattered piece of junk that smelled of peanut butter and jelly. "Not there….I'll smell like a sandwich for weeks. Ugh, and there's a mess of it in there. My fur! YIKES!" Cyrus yowled, but couldn't prevent himself from being crammed into the sweet smelling sack, locked inside with a tug of the zipper.

"Next time, don't make fun. It was your damned idea to do this anyway. I should have gone as a photographer….oh all things, I have to be turned into an undercover cross-dresser." Stephen sulked, holding the small knapsack like a purse as he strode out of the room, then the house, trying not to blush over being disguised as a girl.

**__**

~ The International Aquarium **_~_**

- Higashi Ikebukuro, Tokyo -

"And you'll be going in along, Stephanie Hibiki?" the young man asked in an almost knowing voice. Stephen felt like slapping the guy for flirting with him, but the form was a pretty one. He should have known it would catch some pervert's eyes. "Yes," he said in a high pitched voice," Now give me my ticket or I'm leaving."

Stephen's throat hurt from having to talk so high, but he had to at least sound like a girl to fit the disguise. He sounded like Mickey Mouse, in his opinion, and it made him ill. The young man shrugged, his eyes still looking 'Stephanie' over, then gave up the ticket.

Stephen grabbed it quickly and ran into the aquarium. The first place he went was for a bathroom, getting eyed by two young men as he tried going in the men's room, but then recalled how he looked to everyone. He hovered by the ladies' room a moment, debating on whether he wanted to go in or not, then he felt something swat at his butt. He whirled around to see a guy from his class, Jin, smiling lustily at him. 'Crap….' Stephen thought.

Jin had always been the teacher's pet, glasses, dark brown hair that looked had way too much mousse in it. The glasses were so thick, he thought the guy had three eyes when he first met him in elementary school. They were brown, he found out, when he accidentally whammed into to the guy during a daydream, getting grounded after his parents had to pay for the broken spectacles. He had been sore at Jin for that, and eventually the fact that Jin was always kissing up to the teachers and competing with Stephen's grades to be the #1 student of the school, even thought Stephen had him licked in brains. 

Right now, having a tall, lanky, nerd in heat staring at you like a piece of meat was disturbing, but Stephen couldn't speak now or he'd give himself away. Jin wasn't a total dork, he'd know the voice, disguised or not, of his rival. Since Stephen's grades had been improving, still surpassing Jin's grades, the hatred was still alive in them both, Jin for not being better than Stephen for long and Stephen for Jin still thinking they were rivals of the brain. They'd spent a lot of time in debate class shouting at each other, and sometimes during recess he'd challenge Stephen to his version of 'the battle of wits.' 

Stephen had told him off and even answered the first question before leaving Jin in the dust. Jin said he'd scour the Internet for a subject he could excel in and defeat Stephen in it once and for all. Stephen laughed, not really caring anymore. He juts wanted to get into a good college, far away from Jin and his family, and be a scientist, not a stuck up asshole.

The look on Jin's face was making Stephen's skin crawl, so he back up. Jin took a step forward. "Where ya going, sweetie? Heh hehe, hehee, heehe…." Jin let out, that nasally laugh of his nearly making Stephen blow his cover. Stephen's nose wrinkled a bit as he caught a whiff of Jin's cologne. 'Au de toilet water. Ewww….he actually comes here to pick up women? Ugh, and he's hitting on me, I can't let him find out who I really am, it'll spread all over school that I dressed up like a girl in public. I'll never get left alone!' he thought, and kept moving backwards until he realized he was in the girl's bathroom.

A few other girls were in there, wetting their hair, coming out of the bathroom stalls, and others, fixing their make-up or wiping out stains on their skirts or pants from food. But Jin had stupidly followed, not realizing where he'd just walked into. Stephen smiled, he knew.

He screeched and pointed at Jin, alerting all the other girls to his presence. Jin was too love stuck to notice until toilet paper, tampon packs, and wet paper towels started smacking into his head. Stephen grinned as Jin pathetically floundered out of the room, looking like a wet mummy. He sighed in relief, slowly making his way to the stalls. The other girls were back in their routine, angrily commenting about the rude nerd that had tried to sneak a peek. 'Heh, he'll get the reputation as a sick pervert. Serves him right, for hitting on me….'Stephen thought, finding a stall with a ventilation shaft. He went in, adjusting his skirt and shut the door.

"Ok now," Stephen whispered, unzipping the knapsack and placing it on the floor. Cyrus came up, old peanut butter stuck to his fur. "I'll get you for this." Cyrus whispered back, hissing as Stephen lifted the grate on the shaft up. "You already scarred me with this girl crap….get moving, pussy. We have lives to save, not talking. Move!" Stephen hissed back, shoving the cat and bag through. He put the grate back in place and flushed the toilet, going for the sinks to clean the damned peanut butter he hadn't been able to avoid touching.

~

Stephen got out of the bathroom, not seeing why anyone peeked in there for a thrill, it was just girls going to the bathroom and cleaning up. It wasn't so different than the men's room, only without all the tampon machines. It wasn't much of a great mystery, other than most of the girls were talking about their lives, days and boyfriends. 'Let them keep their silly secrets….it's not a big issue. I have to find the killer monster and Kitty already.' He thought, starting for the exhibits.

He stopped the second he got within five feet of the dolphin tank, a hoard of leering boys blocking his path. 'Ugh….crap….don't these dork have girlfriends!?' his mind screamed, it was a little too much to handle than Jin. Jin was among them, still picking wet paper off of his body. They had waited, waited for his Stephanie form to come out to surround her. 

'Screw this….Cyrus and the others can play with the fish. I will not come back until I have a decent disguise that doesn't subject me to the gauntlet of perverts.' He thought as he turned on heel and ran for the exit. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, looking back to see the boys were in hot pursuit.

He was about to turn his head back towards the exit, knowing he'd call a taxi and get sped away from this mess, when he rammed into something solid, something that puts its hands on his fake girl shoulders. 

"Hey….watch it, lady!" a familiar voice chuckled. Stephen looked up at the person's face, gasping as the girl's form he wore reflected in the dark sunglasses. 'Gary….oh shit no….oh wait, yes! Gary will help.' He thought, and embraced the startled college student.

"Whoa lady, down! Stop that!" he stammered, his voice going high, just like it always did when he was nervous. Stephen wrapped his arms about Gary's neck, leaning his head towards his ear. "Just play along, they won't leave me alone." Stephen said, making sure to keep his voice high and whispery.

Gary nodded, and Stephen felt so relieved. Good old Gary, he would help anyone in trouble, if it was forced in his face. Gary put his arms about Stephen's waist and stood still, the pounding footsteps stopping.

"Oh….you finally came out of the bathroom, darling. Come on, we've wasted enough time, we can't spend the whole day in the lobby." Gary said loudly. The boys all murmured their resentment, and Stephen wasn't about to let go, lest he get dragged away by quick hands he didn't want to be in.

Gary practically had to carry Stephen to the entrance to the tour, leaving his would-be pursuers behind. 

"Ok, lady, what did I just save you for?" Gary asked, giving Stephen a shake to make him let go. Stephen blushed and obeyed, stepping back a few paces, trying to look meek and upset. "My….uh….brother came here and disappeared after he survived the mysterious attack on his tour. I know he must be here….but the police wouldn't do anything. I have to find some proof so they'll search this place." Stephen said in his high pitched voice, muffling it a little with his hands. Gary seemed to by it, but was rubbing his smooth chin thoughtfully, his lips looking not so satisfied.

"Tai Masuchi's little sister….huh? I knew Tai….he never mentioned a sister." Gary said subtly. 'Damn, busted….gods, lie, think of a good lie.' Stephen's mind screamed.

Stephen quickly crossed his arms over his chest, looking up a bit. 'And Allan never mentioned a little brother either…want to harp on that or help me?" Stephen countered. Gary started a bit, then made a small grin and nodded. "Fine, keep your secrets, but at least tell me your name. Lady doesn't seem to suit you, meatball head." Gary replied sarcastically.

'Not like I care…but….gotta act the part.' Stephen thought, and started to wail. "How dare you call me that! You brute, you bully! My name is Stephanie, not meatball head." Stephen cried, making Gary start to sweat and look around, seeing people staring at them. Gary finally just latched his arm to 'Stephanie's' and walked for the start of the tour. "Fine, fine, Stephanie, just don't wail like that again. My ears are permanently damaged…." Gary huffed, tugging Stephen along roughly. 'Sorry Gary, but I have to save lives, you'll never know. But at least I might be able to protect you from whatever lurks in there. It was lucky and unlucky that you're here….you always seem to show up, Gary,' Stephen thought, then got a quizzical look on his face," What's you name?"

"Gary…." He replied.

"Why are you here? I don't see many guys in suit jackets walking around anywhere in place like this unless they give them out." Stephen replied.

Gary seemed to stiffen. "Well?" Stephen asked.

"That's my business. I don't need to tell some strange meatball head what I do on my day off from school." Gary retorted sharply.

"I was just curious, don't be such a grouch about it. Having a little fun in life is no crime, but I wouldn't come here for fun. I'd go to your brother's arcade for that." Stephen replied evenly, stopping when Gary did by the eel tank.

Gary looked at him, his lips a pale, thin line. "You sound like my friend Stephen. You should date him….he'd probably get along either you better than his current sort of girlfriend. That weirdo girl won't leave either of us alone. He needs someone a little less adamant." Gary commented.

"I already have a boyfriend….don't need another one." Stephen lied. Gary shrugged, then tapped at the glass. The eels didn't respond to it, only gulped more water and slunk their garish yellow green bodies out of their small caves, then retracted.

"You know eels are really blue and are covered with yellow slime, which makes them look green. They hide it so well, just like Stephen hides himself." Gary said thoughtfully, his voice wistful.

Stephen blushed a bit, but couldn't help but wonder what Gary meant. "How does he hide himself?" he asked, stepping next to Gary, Gary's and Stephanie's reflections slightly faded in the glass.

"He hides behind his own skin. There's a side to him I don't think he shows his friends, except me. I saw him crying at his friend's funeral. I was worried about him. When he came to see my brother and me at the hospital, he looked so shattered. His best friend since childhood had been murdered, and he was trying so hard not to cry. I sort of followed him after he left and saw him throwing himself around in an alley, saying it was all his fault. I wanted so much to tell him it wasn't, but I couldn't. He looked like everything in his life had been stolen….and I didn't have right to try and give him a well deserved lie that things would go back to normal. Things are never that way….I should know." Gary let out, calm and quiet.

Stephen gasped a little, sorry he'd let Gary see him so distraught, but he was in Stephanie's form now, he'd give himself away if he tried to apologize. "I think you should talk to him about it, if it bothers you. Maybe he'd like to hear it from you….if you really are his friend. He might want to ask why you seem to understand, someday. He replied.

Gary nodded and started to move again. "Yeah, but not today. He's home sick. I'll tell him about the aquarium on the phone or something. That and tell him I tried to have fun today like he asked. And he got to be away from that shrew girlfriend of his….he should set things right, when he gets better, with her. Let her know he just wants to be friends, not steady. I can't stand seeing him with her. She's not the right person for him….she too….brutal and loud."

"I'll bet he's thinking about that right now. So let's get on with this tour, no more questions….come on, Gary-kun!" Stephen chirped, getting Gary to laugh a little. Then the lights went out.

__

~

Stephen woke up near the shark tank, not in the darkened tour area, but right near the shark tank's rim. Water lapped at his hand, then something like sandpaper brushed against it, shocking Stephen awake. He sat up and saw his hand was scraped up, but he had all his fingers, still Stephanie's though. The funny think about the tank was that it was a dog shark, not very big or terribly dangerous, and it was one of five of the same breed. There were suppose to be some blue sharks in here last time he checked, some hammerheads and tiger sharks, all part of the man-eater expose the tank represented. "How did I get up here….Gary! Shit! Gary, where are you!?" Stephen yelled, forgetting to disguise his voice.

His hand healed up swiftly as he got to his feet, looking around for signs of the staff. There was no one. He looked up and saw the room had a skylight. The moon was out. 'I came here at noon, it can't be night already….unless….the Dark Universe. They have Gary!' his mind screamed, and he ran about, looking for a door to get back to the tour area.

He searched for a while, going past the octopus tank, the eels, the tropical fish, until he finally found and exit door, opened just a crack. He peeked in, seeing nothing, then kicked it open. He stepped inside and had to feel along the walls as he found there were stairs within, but all the lights were out.

Stephen sighed and walked down them for several minutes before he found the end, a door that was locked tight. 'Shit….I don't have time for keys.' He thought and started pounding the door.

"Let me out of here! Help! Help!" he yelled, not caring who heard him now. He was all alone, he didn't care who came so long as he was out of the fish smelling darkness. 

"Snowflake?" a familiar, feminine voice chirped.

Stephen's hopes started drowning as the door opened slowly, Angie and some blonde girl staring at him. "Hey, you're not….Mmpph!" Angie was saying, then Stephen rushed out and tackled her to the ground, his hand on her mouth.

He leaned very close to her ear and said is a rough, hushed tone," Don't blow my cover, stupid! Play along." Stephen got off of her and dusted his skirt off, pretending to be embarrassed a few seconds later. "Oh sorry," Stephen said all high-pitched," I thought you were a monster! I'm Stephanie."

Angie looked ready to laugh, but held it in, the blonde girl near her just eyeing Stephen rather hungrily. Stephen felt a little sick being near her, like she was poisoning him. 'Maybe she's in on the Dark Universe thing….where's Cyrus when I need him? Lousy hairball.' He thought, and moved near Angie. She didn't make his body feel ill, only his mind, but it was better than being stared at like a meal.

"Stephanie, huh? I'm Angie and this is Marina. We lost our….dates when the lights went out. We woke up near the dolphin tank….but our dates weren't there. Want to help us search for them?" Angie asked, snickers bubbling out. Stephen elbowed her and nodded. "Sure, I lost my date too. Gary was his name….we were near the eel tank when everything went all so scary and dark. I wok up near the shark tanks….but it was filled with baby sharks….isn't that strange?" Stephen remarked.

Angie looked a little incensed that Gary had been with Stephen instead of her, but it died quickly. "Then let's look around. The emergency lights are on where the tour is. Maybe if we go through it we might find some clues to where our dates went." The girl called Marina piped, all too sweetly. 

Stephen nodded, a little unsure, as did Angie. "Lead the way, Mari!" Stephen chirped loudly. Marina nodded and walked back towards the tour area, with Angie and Stephen in cautious tow. "I don't trust her." Stephen commented quietly to Angie.

Angie nodded her brow furrowed. "I didn't the moment I met her. She changed drastically from Lamont's description. That and she led us around on a wild goose-chase for a witness that didn't exist. Lamont seemed winded from every kiss they shared, she must have been draining him. I don't forget an energy sucking freak race so quickly….we have to be on our guard…." She said, then looked him over," And you definitely have to watch those transformations or you'll stick that way. Then what'll I date."

Stephen hissed at her and walked a little ahead. "We'll discuss this later. When we reach our destination, wherever it is, find some place to transform….don't need our identities blown. Kitty is probably close by to her freak….Be very careful."

She nodded and followed him in, both watching Marina's back as if it would explode any moment. 

**_~ Neptune Arena ~_**

Stephen and Angie remained a good distance from Marina who seemed to be amused by something. They'd gone through nearly every enclosure and tank surface Stephen hadn't already been in. Cyrus was no where to be seen, nor any of the people who were at the aquarium when the lights went out. The trip through the place was nearly as boring as a regular tour, but ten times more frustrating.

The end of the tour was near, the arena center where dolphin and seal shows were held. It was an enclosed area, with a tinted skylight, so the animals could get a good dose of sunshine and the crowds wouldn't get burned. 

Stephen and Angie slowed up a little more as their stomach's turned. "Something is going to happen, isn't it, Snow….I mean Stephanie." Angela whispered.

Stephen nodded, and looked about them as they walked, smiling as he saw a bathroom up ahead. "Go change in the Ladies Room. I'll go on ahead to the arena with Marina. If she's the monster of the week, then I can't let her go in there alone, or she'll hurt the hostages."

"But….," she tried, and Stephen gave her a dirty look," Ok….I'm going." Stephen kept his eyes on Marina, who barely even noticed how far away they were, or that Angie has slipped into the Ladies Room. She seemed only to care about reaching the end of the tour, a small part of marina's job taken highly out of proportion. She could be reached if he and Mercury could weaken her, but finding their missing friends was the main thing right now. Once they were saved, he could kick Lamont's date around all he wanted until it was time to save her. 'And little Miss Kitty's ass too….she has to be around too….' He thought.

"We're here, oh, where did Angela go?" Marina said suddenly. Stephen stopped short, finding they were in the center of the circular arena. She was eyeing him slyly. "She had to go to the bathroom….I forgot to tell you…." Stephen replied uneasily. Marina was glowing a bright blue color, and he could hear muffled noises echoing in the room. 

"Good thing, little girl. It makes it so much easier to find her after I kill you and your boyfriends. Ahahahahaaa!!" Marina laughed, her face becoming silver, her clothes ripping off and her mouth started to stretch. Stephen took a step back, looking away from the once beautiful girl start to lose her hair and flesh. As he did, he saw a group of people tied up to posts in the water. They were patrons from the aquarium, struggling and screaming. They had strange jellyfish attached to their chests, the glowing tendril all snaking about and through the water of the giant tank to a larger jellyfish at the bottom of the tank, surrounded by sharks. The sharks looked different than normal ones, they looked half starved.

His eyes went all around until he found the ceiling, a long cable hanging from it, Lamont, Gary, and Ray hanging onto it, their wrists tied to the hook at the end. Gary's sunglasses were cracked a bit, and blood stained his cheek, Lamont looked to be healing from a bop to the head as was Ray, blood stained in their hair.

Finally, a horrible high-pitched laugh rang out, nearly making Stephen double over in pain. "Kitty is so happy, you brought earth princess to Kitty, Jaws. Now Lord Specter play games with her, naughty Raven games! Kyahahahaha!" Kitty screeched, bouncing up and down on one of the seal platforms, holding something high in her hands, something blue.

'They think I'm the Earth Princess, boy, is Specter going to be disappointed when he finds out we have something in common in our pants. And Kitty's got the blue crystal….fire, then water! Marina is a reborn Dark Universe monster! I have to get that crystal, Kitty already has one of the seven, she can't have another so soon, but….,' he thought, looking up at Gary and the others,' She might lower them into the sharks and kill them….I have to save them and get that crystal first.'

"Jaws, get Earth Princess for Kitty!! Now!" Kitty sang out, still bouncing up and down like mad. Stephen looked back towards where Marina stood, and finally understood where her past form got her name. All those teeth, it was like a humanoid piranha, the smile of endless teeth going back so far he almost expect the head to snap off if the mouth opened.

"Yes, Mistress Kitty." Jaws gurgled and lunged for Stephen. He jumped out of the way, smacking into the bleachers. He groaned in pain, reaching his hand into where he stuffed his pendant, groaning again. He pulled it out, hiding it within his hand, but wasn't up in time to avoid Jaws next attack. He found himself struggling in her arms, then the thing jumped across the tank to Kitty, drooling all down his back a rotten fishy smell.

'In major need of a Tic-Tac, ugh, the entire factory even! I'll never get this lousy smell off.' He thought, keeping his head low as he was brought right up to Kitty. The Dark Universe princess was acting like a little kid getting a new toy, her sharp claws making him shuddered as they touched his face.

"Any last words, Earth Princess before you spawn the ultimate being for our lord?" she asked sweetly.

"Yeah, I do," Stephen said in his normal voice holding out his pendant, scaring Kitty, the Crystal in his view," **_Moon Sword! Transform!_**" 

He transformed in seconds, kicking out the moment he was done, right into Kitty's crystal holding hand. His free hand went for his sword, whipping it out as Kitty wailed and slashing it across Jaws' arm, setting himself free.

Maybe he couldn't chop body parts off of this possessed human, but he could hurt her to bring her back. "I'm no princess, miss kitty cat! Hail to disguise power….ah, forget it. Think fast!" Moon Knight shouted, shoving the princess off balance long enough to leap up and grab the descending blue crystal. He darted off for the tank as soon at it touched his glove, leaping for one of the posts covered with drained people. "NO! He stole Kitty's treasure! Stop him! Stop the mean old bully knight! Kill all the people! Satisfy Kitty's rage!!!!" she screamed, Jaws sprinting into action seconds later. 

Moon Knight leapt from post to post, momentarily dunking people before leaping away. "Gary! Start swinging the cable! I can't get you lose the way you three are now! Swing! Yipe!" Moon Knight shouted, getting slashed across his arm by Jaws, nearly getting his other arm chomped off by her mouth. Gary nodded and obeyed, Lamont and Ray following his lead. Moon Knight had a good excuse for knowing Gary's name now, his disguise had been told the name and Gary had just seen Stephanie turn into Moon Knight. 'At least he doesn't know who Moon Knight really is….who Stephen turns into to save lives when he should be enjoying himself….' He thought, dodging another attack as he leapt for the glass edge, running back for the platform Kitty was wailing on.

The trio of boys had the cable swinging pretty hard, good enough to be freed on the other side. They'd be bruised, but they'd be alive if his plan worked. Moon Knight held the crystal tight as he rammed into Kitty, sending her screaming into the water. The sharks didn't go for her as he'd hoped. Kitty came flying out sputtering and red in the face. 

"KITTY HATES THE WATER! JAWS! SUCK HIM DRY!" she screamed, vanished with a growl. Jaws rammed Moon Knight from behind, but he jammed his sword into the platform to keep away from the water. His head whipped around swiftly, the fish-woman's claws reaching for him. "SHIT!" he swore loudly, trying to yank his sword free to block the attack, but it was stuck. 

"**_Icicle Daggers!!_**" a voice shouted, numerous chilled shards ramming into Jaws, sending her into the wall. Moon Knight looked back, pulling his sword free. Lady Mercury waving at him with her arm and sword. "Mercury! About time! Look up!" he shouted. She did so and gasped.

"Get over it! I need you to stay right where you are and catch them…."

"You got it, Moon Knight!" she shouted back, sheathing her sword swiftly.

Moon Knight grinned, taking one look back at Jaws as she struggled to get the shards out of her body. "Not a lot of time. So here goes," he said, looking towards the trio, waiting till they started to swing towards Mercury and slashed his sword at the cable," **_Celestial Beam!_**"

The light beam flashed out of his blade and soared right into the cable, snapping it in half. The trio fell, right for Mercury's waiting arms. Moon Knight knew she loved a test of strength, no matter what. Catching them sent her flat on her butt, but she prevented them from smashing into the bleachers or concrete any harder.

Moon Knight turned about, seeing Jaws was pulling the last shard from her body, her acidic, clear blood leaking down each slowly healing wound. "Like I'm going to wait. **_Celestial Beam!! _**Strike!" he shouted, sending the beam of light into Jaws' chest. She howled, then slumped to the ground, panting heavily.

"Now you're ready, you soul sucking sushi tray….**_ Celestial Healing Light! _**Encircle this lost soul!" he said softly, raising his silver sword high, the white beams of light swirling from its quicksilver pores into the silvery, stinking body of the monster, It howled anew, then was only a silhouette was seen within the bright light that took it over.

It grew smaller and smaller until it was human-sized, and normal pale skin was in Stephen's view. Too much in fact. "Gah! She's naked!" he screeched, covering his eyes, his cheeks reddening. 

He walked to her, peeking at her feet every so often to know where she was. He couldn't just leave her here naked and cold in the arena. She'd get raped, fired, or humiliated, or all three. He held into the blue crystal tightly, practically sticking it in his eye until his foot met with hers. He carefully picked her up and leapt back for the bleacher area. He set her down on one, and turned his back to her, finally opening his eyes.

"You're pretty sneaky, Moon Knight." Gary said, directly in front of him. "S-sneaky? How?" he said, making his voice a little deeper. Gary shook his head, crossing his arms across his chest. "Disguising yourself as a girl, and a meatball headed one at that." Gary piped, and Moon Knight could heard Lamont and Ray stifling giggles in their throats. He looked at them sharply. "Why don't you civilians get this young lady some sweats from the gift shop instead of laughing about something that isn't your business."

"Oh, yes, sir, Mr. Moon Knight. Don't let us interrupt you and your boyfriend….ahahahaa!" Lamont teased.

Before Moon Knight could respond to it, Lamont and Ray had run off for the clothes, Lamont carrying the nude Marina in his arms. He looked at Gary with a frown. "Fine thing you did….those boys didn't have to know I knew you when I was disguised." He said tersely. Gary just smiled.

"NO, just strikes me as funny. I thought you'd be suited for my friend when I thought you were a girl. I guess it seems kind of silly now. This is the second time you've saved my life, Moon Knight….I kind'a feel like I know you….from somewhere. Can't put my finger on it though, but thanks anyhow. Stephen's not going to believe this.

"Oh, he would. He's here….oops…." Mercury chuckled, then grabbed her mouth, blushing with embarrassment. Stephen wanted to smack her for that, but it wouldn't do any good. He hated lying to Gary, but it was for the guy's own good. Kitty might use him as a hostage if he ever found out. 

"WHAT?! The meathead came here anyway, being sick? Where is he?" Gary said with earnestly, grabbing Moon Knight by the collar. Moon Knight took a step back, freeing himself as he raised his hands up in defense. "Hold on a minute….I don't know anything about sick. He looked healthy to me. I saved him from drowning in the shark tank. Kitty tied him to a pole in there. I wouldn't let a close friend like that die on me." he lied quickly.

"Where is he now?" Gary asked.

"I told him to hide in one of the bathrooms and to lock the door. Last I saw, he followed that order. You go off and tell him to come out now….he's….got a lot to say, to you and to someone named Angie. Right now, Lady Mercury and me have to save those people in the water. Those sharks are getting their strength back at the same rate as the people. Their appetites are going to be hard to handle if we have people still in bite range." Moon Knight replied.

Gary nodded and ran off. Moon Knight started for the tank again, gesturing for Mercury to follow. "We have to do this fast….there are only so many bathrooms I can hide in for so long. We have to hurry!" Moon Knight told her, leaping for the first pole, cutting it loose from where it was held, brushing off the dead jellyfish from their bodies.

**_-1 Hour Later -_**

~ Lobby ~

Gary pounded on the Men's Room first, seeing Lamont and Ray leaning against the dolphin tank. Lamont looked a little upset. He stopped pounding to look at them a little more, and say Ray's hand was on the other's shoulder, and there was no sign of the girl they'd been carrying. "Where did the girl go?"

"She ran home after we roused her, in unpaid for clothes. Guess the ex-boyfriend picks up the tab for the last time." Lamont uttered, a little hurt. "She dumped you? After all this that you didn't even cause and she dumps you?" Gary said, a little stunned.

Lamont lifted his red-head, smiling faintly. "Before that Kitty lady came along, she was planning on dumping me anyway, someone told her about how I got kicked out of my last school….lousy luck really. I never would have hurt her. Eh, I guess its over. I'll have to go it single again….real lousy luck." Lamont said, sighing.

Gary nodded, then heard a door creak. He turned a bit to see Stephen's wet head peak out of the Ladies Room, his icy blue eyes wide with fear. "Gary? What are you doing here?" he asked quietly, stepping out fully. Stephen was soaked to the skin, smelling of dead fish. His normally smooth hair was a bit rumpled and a bit of seaweed was in it. Gary picked it out, looking to see if his friend was all right.

"What? I was in a tank….that lunatic woman threw me in to get eaten….The thanks I get for trying to see how Ray's date was going.

"Didn't go so well, Stephen. I changed my mind….you can have her."

"I don't want Angie." Stephen shot back, shivering.

"Who doesn't want me?" Angie's voice scowled.

"Ray and me…." Stephen replied.

"And me." Gary piped, raising his hand.

"Moon Knight said you wanted to talk to me Stephen. It's not another change to hit me is it?" she said in a hurt voice. Stephen shook his head to Gary's surprise. "Come into the gift shop, where I can grab some towels….we need to have a talk, Angela." Stephen called, gesturing for her to follow. Stephen walked off and vanished into the gift shop and Angie followed a few seconds later.

Gary waited a moment, then looked back at Lamont and Ray, who were petting the dolphins, their backs to him. He shrugged and walked quietly after Angie and Stephen, ducking under the rope guards quietly. He saw Stephen taking off his shirt, his back to Angie, who sat on a pile of stuffed animals, plushies, and squeaky toys. 

Gary bit his lip as Stephen toweled himself off and took a seal shirt off the rack, then sat down next to Angie. Gary hit behind the large doll display, and listened. "I'll have to pay for Marina's clothes too. No way Lamont is flipping the bill for her. Dumping him after he saved her dignity, dumping him over one little fight. That's not a good girlfriend…." He muttered.

"What is a good girlfriend to you?" Angie asked, seriously. Stephen, shifted a bit and Gary leaned out a little to see what they were doing. Stephen was looking at his hands, one was planted on Angie's right leg. She was looking at him, hopeful and sincere, while he looked a little upset.

"Angie, I meant what I said about not loving you. I just don't feel the way you feel about me. Sure, say I'm a lame asshole for it, but guy that can knock you on your ass isn't boyfriend material, especially one that hadn't wanted to fight you in the first place. I'm not the guy for you, I just want to be your friend, Angie, just your friend. But…." He said, pausing a moment.

"But what?" Angie piped, sounding hopeful again. "But, I am sorry, very sorry for hurting your feelings in front of the whole school, and for hitting you. I had no right to take my anger at….Mark's death out on you. You were probably hurt too by what we saw….and I didn't stop to think about anyone else's pain and suffering except my own. For that, I'm sorry….and I hope you can accept my apology. I never meant to hurt you, my temper just got out of hand. I'm sorry." He replied.

The words seemed to sink in as Angie sat there, her fingers toying with a plushie octopus doll. "I accept you apology and ….I understand what you're trying to say. We'll start over from the beginning, from when we first met." She said.

Stephen looked up and pale, even more than usual. "We met when you socked me in the face…." He said exasperated tone.

She giggled and hugged him. "No, when we really met, on good terms. No fighting…..no monsters, just us."

"My memory seems to have eluded me with that word and us. But, ok….if it'll make you happy." He said, and pecked her on the cheek before getting up," Good friends now….No more stealing into my bedroom or coming to my homeroom. Just good friends, like eating lunch together kind of friends. OK?  
"Certainly…." She said, and Stephen smiled, and walked out of the shop, right past where Gary was hiding. Stephen didn't even see him, the young white haired boy kept going until he was back in the lobby, out of view.

"He still likes me! I still have a chance!" Gary heard uttered from where Angie still sat, giggling and sighing.

'Oh joy….here we go again. Bad enough I nearly get drowned and eaten in a shark infested tank, but the Moon Knight has my crystal too. I needed that thing to find out why the hell I get drawn to these weird situations. Gods, I wish Stephen was older, then I could have a stiff drink in front of him. I need it….' He thought, waiting for Angie to pass by into the lobby. Then he stood up and walked for the gift shop exit. He didn't care if the alarm went on right now. He had to find the next crystal, soon, or he'd go crazy.

**__**

* The International Aquarium is a real place in Japan, though I have probably not described the inside as accurately as it's location:   
World Import Art Building, 10th Floor, Sunshine City, 3-1-3 Higashi Ikebukuro, Tokyo.


	16. Ch 16 Join the Club!

**__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the Sailor Moon series. I do own my knights, the Dark Universe, and all others involved with the story save for Sailor Moon characters. This is just my play on the series.

****

Chapter 16

Join the Club!

~ The Dark Universe ~

Kitty and Xeno stood still before their lord, who looked about ready to pop with rage any second. He'd been so pleased when Kitty brought the Fire Crystal to him, but losing the Water Crystal to Moon Knight put him back in a terrible mood. Kitty had been sure it'd work, it still puzzled her how Moon Knight found her so fast. Then again, the stupid humans that managed to talk about old Jaws might have had a hand in it.

'I hate humans. Oooooo, they spoil all my neat fun!' she scowled inwardly, then went back at attention when Specter rammed his fist on his throne.

"We'll have to work extra quickly and harder to gain the next crystal….I don't want anymore repeats of Jaws. She was fine warrior, Kitty….and you left her the moment you got wet. You're stupidity isn't nearly as annoying as your quickness to retreat…." He stated harshly at her.

She pouted. "But Lord Specter, I hate the wa….." she started, then was thrown back several feet with a wave of Specter's hand. 

"I'M NOT FINISHED! You will speak when spoken you, little princess.," Specter growled, then his purple eyes shot to stiff and calm Xeno," Has the next crystal been located?"

Xeno nodded, and held out the location prism in his pale hand. It shined, then displayed a young man with multicolored hair and sunglasses covering his eyes. He was wearing a leather vest over a death metal shirt and some wicked looking skull necklaces, as well as fingerless gloves. 

"This is Tenchi Oyoko…..a.k.a. Shocker Chi, an Earth Disc Jockey. He contains the Orange Crystal of Spirit and….an old acquaintance of our little princess. I have already planned his reinstatement into the Dark Universe with Princes Kittiana." Xeno said plainly, the image fading as he shoved the prism in his pocket.

Specter nodded, growling still at the tipsy Kitty. "I hope you get it right this time, or I might have to punish one of your incompetence. Get me this Crystal or they will be consequences, worse than that of Princess Raven. Understood?!" he bellowed. Xeno barely flinched at raven's name, and only nodded before vanishing in a hailstorm of metal.

Kitty finally got her bearings and saluted off kilter and vanished in a wisp of a growling tiger head. Specter grumbled. "Moron….why did I get her? Ah, she's an excellent con artist and if she had brain one working at the right time, she'd kill Moon Knight. At least this warrior means something to her. There will only be four Crystals left….we'll have the majority….we will…and Earth will be mine. All mine! Ahahahahaaaa!!" he cackled, the terrible laugh echoing through the dark underworld of his kingdom.

__

**~ Miko's Café ~**

Stephen wasn't having fun. He missed Allan's arcade, but it was still under repair and Allan had gone out of town to recuperate. He still had Gary to hang with, but they were both bored hopping from café to café to talk or grab a bite to eat. Gary had days some months he didn't want Stephen in his apartment, renovations or pest control, something his landlord neglected. He didn't mind not having to eat fast food at Gary's apartment, but still, Stephen didn't need to be tutored, so they did very little. Stephen breezed through his work in an hour, so they were stuck watching boring reruns and game shows, even ones that made them blush, listened to music or sat on his lanai balcony to look across the city.

They'd taken to going to cafés and clubs to pass the time when there was truly nothing to do and it was driving them nuts. Gary was pretty cool about things and he even commented politely on Stephen's knowledge of exotic foods. Stephen couldn't help what he'd learned in etiquette classes as a child. He never forgot what he learned, so having fun was always welcome. 

Right now, they were drinking malt sodas and eating cheeseburgers. Stephen was looking around, sometimes out of boredom, and others, wondering if Lady Glamour's secret identity. He really wanted to meet her and ask here out when they weren't out saving the world. She never showed up during the fight with Jaws, and it worried him. He hoped she was all right, and still single. He'd die if she had forgotten him and the knights, of course. 

'Who knows, the woman of my dreams could be right under my nose. Ah where is she? Why won't she appear?' he thought, fantasizing about asking her out.

"Hey meathead…..don't go leaving me in reality again." Gary hoarsely interjected, shattering Stephen's thoughts. Stephen glared at him, only seeing his face reflect as twins in Gary's ever-present sunglasses and that delighted little smirk on his friend's mouth. 

"You're bringing me down, Stephen….no fair you go to La-La Land and leave me here with the check." Gary chuckled. That made Stephen smile. Gary was getting better with his sense of humor and understanding Stephen's quirks. "Funny….I was just thinking about that girl again. I was wondering where she's been, what she's been up to." Stephen replied, taking a big gulp from his fountain glass.

Gary shrugged. "Who knows with women, meathead. The right girl could be right before your eyes….someday, and you'd miss that chance cause you'd probably be daydreaming again." Gary snickered. Stephen frowned a bit. "Well….the right woman doesn't happen to be in front of me, Gary, me boy. And I would not zone out in her face……you really get a kick out of teasing me, don't you?"

Gary nodded with a lopsided grin and two thumbs up. "You know it…." He was saying when a young man entered the café, his multicolored hair making a few of the patrons giggle and stare.

Stephen turned to look at the guy, feeling funny as he did, a sort of deja vu. 'Do I know this guy? I feel like I do….but I don't remember someone like that….' He thought, stiffening as the guy looked at them and waved.

"Hey-o, Gary my man. Shove over, dude." The youth shouted, his voice sounding really hyped up, like some excited rock star. Gary moved around to Stephen's side and sat next to him. Stephen just watched as the young man sat across from them, his skull jewelry jingling like crazy.

His shirt was cool, a death metal shirt with a skeleton playing the guitar, a leather vest with a scythe patch on the right side. He had orange fingerless gloves and orange sneakers. He was like punk rocker, and twice as fruity in his taste in clothes. Stephen had to rub his eyes a few times to ensure he wouldn't go blind. 

"Long time no see, Gary boy. Haven't seen you since the arcade got trashed. How's your big old bro?" the youth asked.

Gary shrugged. "He's in Europe, Tenchi….Mom and Dad sent him out there so he could….get over the attacks. The arcade should up and running in a few months…."Gary started, then seemed to remember Stephen was there," Oh yeah, this is my friend Stephen Tsukikage. Stephen, this is Tenchi Oyoko. he used to be our best customer before he started building his dream, a night club." 

Tenchi grinned broadly. "Not building anymore, dude, it's all built. Got a great loan and a willing group of bands to fund me too….The Mecha Room is officially open tomorrow night. And this unsociable dude here thought it was a pipe dream. Can you believe him, Stephy boy?" Tenchi let out with a laugh.

Stephen frowned at the odd nickname, but nodded. Gary could be sarcastically pessimistic at times, but all in good fun. "Yeah, I guess, and its Stephen. So your grand opening is tomorrow night? Bet the entrance fee is killer." Stephen replied.

Tenchi nodded, digging in his vest for something. He pulled out a wad of tickets and plopped them on the table. Stephen picked one up, reading the address first at the top and the rest to himself:

Come one, Come all to the Coolest

Underworld Heavy Metal Dance Club,

The Mecha Room!!

GRAND OPENING!!

Door Prizes Will Be Given to the First 100 Customers.

Bring a Date! Bring Three Dates! Tell Your Friends….Admission is Half Price 

Tonight With All The Music, Food, and Drinks You Can Stand. 

Let's ROCK!

Shocker Chi………

"Sounds cool….all heavy metal?" Stephen asked. Tenchi shook his jingling head. "No, no, no, man, its all good, horror rock, rock and roll, techno, all the good stuff, even foreign American and European stuff. I really dig music, we're like blood brothers. I always am in synch with rhythm. No one can keep up with the Shocker, so I'm a solo act for now. You'll come, right Stephy boy?" Tenchi asked eagerly.

"….It is Stephen, and sure, I'll bring my friends….it'd be something better to do than café hop all week," he grinned and slipped an arm around Gary's neck tightly in fun," And I'll even bring the pessimist. Right Gary?"

Gary managed a slightly, nod, wriggling out of the near headlock. Stephen shrugged, not understanding why Gary could tease and Stephen couldn't. "I'll be there, but since you're bored and I am too, why don't we go check Tenchi's place out?" Gary suggested, flustered.

"I don't mind, do you Stephy boy?" Tenchi asked, making a drum beat on the table with his knuckles. Stephen was about to say no and correct the guy again when he saw a flash of white out of the corner of his eye. He sidelong glanced to the spot, trailing up and down the windows opposite them. Then he frozen, the white-haired head of Kitty peeking at them through the window. 'No….not at me and Gary….Tenchi….she looks like she wants to eat him…oh gods, he must have a crystal inside him. Oh no….' he thought, getting knocked out of his trance by Gary's fist to his head.

He rubbed at it, looking tersely at Gary. "Well? What's the answer, meathead?" 

Stephen looked one more time where Kitty had been, frowning to see she was gone. "Sure…what the hell. It couldn't hurt….much." he said, half hoping he was right.

__

**~ The Mecha Room ~**

"Whoa cool! This place is enormous! Its like a warehouse with….hell, the most expensive club gear I've ever seen. Damn, Chi, what did this place used to be?" Stephen gasped, staring at every colored light and high tech disc jockey's dream come true equipment. 

Shocker Chi just grinned broadly. "A warehouse, duh….I got it last year, my grandpa bit the dust so I got this, so I sold what was in it to some companies, and started using the money and some loans to fix it all up. Built the dining area up where the main offices were, kept some of the non-functioning machinery like that gizmo near my throne for a futuristic effect," he said, pointing at what looked like a giant metal arm. The tubes were painted red to resemble muscle and spikes added to the metal claw.

Stephen just whistled. He couldn't see the ceiling even with all the lights on. It was painted perfectly like a moonlit sky. He looked at the moon, so perfectly painted, staring back at him. His heart lurched a bit, like he'd lost something and forgotten. Stephen quickly shook it off. 'This super hero stuff is still the pits. Making me imagine things….' He thought, watching Gary and Chi converse over the light show planned for tonight.

Stephen was more concerned with seeing Kitty in the window back at the café. He thought he saw a flash of silver behind her, someone had been with her perhaps. It might have been another general since Kitty was obvious an incompetent, all be is psychotically dangerous, crybaby. He wondered a bit, as he cautious went into the bathroom, if Lord Specter would make an appearance if the knights killed all the generals. 

He frowned on that thought as he stayed by the door, peering around Chi and Gary for any sign of attack. He couldn't let them see who he was, or let Kitty and her stooge see either. If she was already eyeing Chi, she was going to attack. Kitty was as quick as her brain wasn't, but he'd stop her before she could get the next crystal, then consult with Cyrus in how to get the crystal out without making Chi transform into a big fat problem with teeth and claws.

'Hopefully without that rancid fish smell too. I had to burn my clothes because of Jaws….and take 50 damn herbal showers and get grounded for a week for using mom's herbal soaps up.' He thought, flinched a bit as he heard the front door open. He watched and waited, his blood running cold as he saw Kitty and a man with silver hair walk out of the darkness, almost bleeding out of the shadows.

'Time to rescue Gary again….' He thought gripping his pendant as he went into one of the stalls. **_Moon Knight, Trans_**….ack!" he started, followed by a loud splash," Dammit."

The toilet flushed on him as he tried to right himself. "Ahhh shit….like a damn vacuum cleaner." He muttered from within the stall.

~

Gary went on talking with Chi until he saw his friend start to look around him, looking a bit flirtatious. 'Girl must have sneaked in….Chi, you're such a playboy.' Gary thought nauseously, a headache hitting him suddenly as he turned, and nearly fell over in shock. It was her, that Kitty woman that nearly killed him, Ray and Lamont at the aquarium. 

'Life stinks….its happening again….that means….oh my gods, Chi has a crystal inside him!' Gary's mind screamed. He got in front of Chi, tried his best to say the least. Chi didn't seem to sense the danger Gary did. Kitty was here for a crystal, and would destroy Chi's life like he nearly did Marina's.

"Oh lookie, Xeno-kins. Kitty sees boy toy from the fish museum….got a lot of strength. He'll make Lord Specter happy when Dark Goddess sucks his soul out. That and Kitty get Crystal Spirit stud too….goodie, goodie." She said raising her hand up.

The silver hair man was staring at Gary, his silver hair and armor glittering in the light in a dazzling way. "Perhaps. Now just do what we came here for first. The Dark Goddess and Lord Specter want the crystal first….not your little games." He said snobbishly.

Kitty bounced up and down and her hand glowed.

Gary was about to shove Chi out of the way and take the hit, when Kitty yelled, flying into a wall. Gary blinked, not daring to believe what he was seeing. "Moon Knight!" he cried out, almost high pitched.

Moon Knight just grunted in reply, slashing at Xeno who retaliated with his wrist blade. Xeno slashed back, a boomerang of light sailing at Moon Knight's head. His blade deflected it, and it slammed into Kitty. The royal pain vanished, in a fit of tears.

Xeno merely sniffed at all this, and looked back at Gary. "The Crystal of Spirit will belong to the Dark Universe, boy, as will the Earth princess," he was saying to Moon Knight, but never took his eyes off Gary," Till then, think fast, hah!" With then he jumped into the air and threw a hail of shimmering light boomerangs at Gary. 

He tensed, all sound and sight silencing around him as the barrage of deadly blue blade sailed at him. He didn't even see Xeno vanish, or hear Moon Knight yell his name. All he knew was he felt something his side, then he hit he floor, the spot he was standing on before exploding in a hail storm of splinters. As his senses came back, he was aware someone was on top of him. He managed to finally turn his head to see Moon Knight sprawled and bleeding on top of him. 

"Oh gods! MOON KNIGHT!" he near screamed. Chi was near them now, pulling the young knight off. His back was mutilated with sizzling slashes. 'He….he took those hits….for me? He doesn't even know me…why?' Gary wondered, his eyes widening behind his sunglasses as the wounds started pulling in, healing. The armor was even fixing itself. 'He's…immortal? What the hell is going on? Moon Knight….why did you risk yourself anyway….who are you?' Gary wondered.

As if in reply, Moon Knight moaned and started pulling himself off the floor in a hunched kneel. "Ich, damn Dark Universe freaks….cowards." he muttered, rubbing his neck.

"Moon Knight….thank you, again. You always seem to be around to save my ass." Gary said quietly. Moon Knight looked up, his mask shimmering a little, almost as silver as Xeno's. "Don't mention it…just being a hero…..ack, like always. I'm glad Stephen called me….or I might not of been able to keep saving your butt." Moon Knight uttered," but I can't stay. World savior stuff and such…so long." With a wave, he ran out of the club before Gary could ask him where Stephen ran off to.

"Eh….good old meathead….always watching everybody's back." Gary uttered, picking himself up. Chi just watched, a little nervous looking for once. "What were those people talking about? I don't own any orange crystal….I better call the cops."

Gary shook his head. "Just weirdoes….you don't need the police, I have a feeling you have a moonlight guardian angel watching you, with three others. Looks like you've got free bodyguards, Chi." Gary uttered, worrying for Chi a little as a headache came on again. 'Yeah….he's going to need it….but I'll be the one with the crystal…once I figure out how to get it without harming Chi.' He thought absently, sighing deeply as the headache got worse.

__

**~ Dark Universe ~**

Kitty was still ranting in her overly white room, breaking things and kicking stuff into pieces, despite being told to stay still while she healed. She was upset she had to wait for Chi to be transformed longer. Specter had not been told of the failure. Xeno was simply bored with the Moon Knight getting in their way, he was always around, like he was being tipped off. It was probably that beautiful white–haired boy that had been with the Crystal carrier. 

He recalled Viper saying the boy had known the knight and was probably a friend. 'Probably knows who and where Moon Knight might be….but all in good time…soon, once Kitty calms down.' He thought angrily, watching the princess go into another crying fit when she failed to kick her bed apart. 

"Princess, we won't get far if you take it out on the furniture. We should go back tomorrow night to the club and finish the job. Who would suspect we'd attack with so many people around? I am the brains behind these attacks, but you keep messing them up. Specter will not be pleased when I tell him you're more suited to whining than being next in line for the Dark Universe throne." He uttered.

She stopped in mid bawling and looked at him. "Kitty wants to know what we do then. Direct approach failed, Kitty is angry with lousy Moon Knight. Moon Knight and boy toy ruined the plan. Kitty wants revenge. Kitty wants Crystal boy! NOW!."

"You will get it all. Just disguise yourself and get him alone…them take it, make sure he's alone and no one follows. Do it quickly….while I search for the true identities of the knights….Lord Specter doesn't want me directly involved with the crystals because its your job to get them. You fail….your funeral, understood, you highness?" Xeno explain gently as possible.

After a few blinks, she nodded. "Kitty understands….Kitty will make Xeno proud and Lord happy. Kitty will be very happy too….hee….hee." She giggles and flashed out with growl. Xeno sighed. 

"One can only hope. My prism was reacting in the club to more than just the crystal. That boy….had great power. Perhaps that is why Moon Knight saves him….could he be…the Moon prince? He seemed vaguely familiar to me….like we've met. It is a strange thing," he sighed," But, I have more important things to do that wonder, I have some knights to identify….and kill." He flashed out, his musical chuckle softly dancing across the ivory walls.

__

**~ The Mecha Room ~**

- Next Day -

"Oh, a date….how cool, Snowflake." Angie chirped. She'd gone all out for her clothes tonight, a sleeveless T-shirt, her torn jeans, high top sneakers, and even her favorite silver earrings. It made Stephen cringe. Nothing had really changed between them, he regretted pecking her cheek. She got the wrong idea again and still thought they were going to be a couple. 'We're a couple all right, a couple of opposites….stupid psycho girl.' He thought. 

He hadn't gone as loose as Angie did. He simply wore some black jeans and a black T-shirt with his pendant tucked under it. He wore his usual sneakers and that was it, aside from the small knapsack he was carrying with a rather irate and sweaty talking cat inside. Stephen had loved forcing Cyrus in there when the cat insisted on going. Pets weren't allowed in clubs, so Stephen used an old knapsack to cart him around. Lamont and Ray, both dressed nearly the same as Stephen, flanked him. Ray had on a shirt with fireballs on it while Lamont had a normal green sweatshirt. 

Compared to the rest of the rowdy patrons, they were sincerely the most normal looking and most out of place. Everyone was either totally gothic or punk hair rock and roll fans. Stephen found it amusing and exciting. He never got to go to a club till now. 

He was about to look for Chi when he felt Angie latch onto him like barnacle. "Angie, lay off….I need my arm….we're here on business, not….whatever you're thinking. We all fan out and look for anyone suspicious and keep and eye on Chi," he said, pointing to the multicolored-haired head of Shocker Chi himself, having a good old time as the DJ. 

Angie pouted and grumbled a bit, but let go finally and disappeared into the sea of black and rainbows. Ray went next and Lamont was already gone and on the dance floor near a blonde. 'So much for saving the world….Lamont, you idiot….' He thought and went for the bathroom. He got in an empty stall, one with grate in it and let a gasping Cyrus out. "This is cruel and unusual punishment. I nearly suffocated in that smelly thing. Your gym socks from the sixth grade are still in here." Cyrus yowled, only to get his mouth pinched shut.

"Shhh…there's other guys in the stalls you know. Just get in the vents and keep and eye out, yell if you see anything. That's the plan, just like you wanted." Stephen grumbled, lifting the grate next to his toilet up and shoving the yowling cat in.

"We'll have words about your laziness later….then." Cyrus grumbled, scampering off even before Stephen shut the grate. "Yeah, yeah, such a mother." Stephen sighed, flushed for no reason and left, he had some Kitty spotting to do. 

Stephen went out and saw a familiar suited male walk by, Gary. His friend was there, even after what nearly happened today. "Hey Gary….Gary!" he called, but Gary didn't seem to hear him, vanishing into the dancing crowds like liquid. Stephen groaned, looking back up to where Chi was as a new song was put on. Chi was still safe, plenty of girls dancing and rubbing up against him. 'Man….I really hope he's not a pervert, or this protection thing's going to be harder than I thought. Don't need him doing something nuts when his life is at stake.' He thought, and was about to go towards the stage when a young red-headed girl grabbed his arm and pulled him on the dance floor.

"Jeez…." He muttered, this girl a lot more muscular than Angie keeping him near her. He wanted to hit her and run, but then he might get thrown out. He still had a good view of Chi on stage, of the few blondes and brunettes dancing near him. He was still safe, Stephen wasn't leaving, so nothing was wrong. 'Except the fact this girl's deodorant just ain't makin' it. Phew….I hope kitty exposed herself soon so we can kick her ass for ruining what could be a fun night.' He thought, trying to keep his arm in its socket as he was yanked further into the crowd of dancers.

__

~

Chi was having the time of his life, his dream had finally come true. He was making people happy and letting them share the fun of his talents. It felt so uplifting to him, not to mention he loved the attention he was getting from all the girls he'd let up on stage. One particular one was grabbing his rear and fiddling with his zipper. 'Man oh man, she's all over me. She digs me….finally I get some popularity, not the music freak anymore. I'm the DJ god. No more virgin jokes at my expense in college, maybe….ah, jeez….' He thought as he felt her hand inside his pants. 

He nearly messed up his rhythm when she touches his boxers, and nearly messed up his boxers too. It felt kind'a good, addictive, warm. She wasn't going in his boxers, but still, it was enough to drive him insane. He's never ever been thought of or touched this way. She stopped after a few teasing pats and winked at him, walking away. He watched her as he tried to keep from going nuts and hyperventilating from wanting to be by her. She was gorgeous, a plain blonde, a petite bust. He didn't care what she looked like, she was interested in him. That was a blessing all its own for a loner like him.

He finished his bit after seeing she'd slinked into the office. He thought he'd locked it for the night, but it didn't bother him. It was private. He quickly put a new CD in and got off the stage, setting a few lights to go off during it. No one seemed to notice he was sneaking away and if they did, he'd have to go back and fight the urge to scream. This was his chance, a girlfriend, no more jokes aimed at him. He'd be a man.

He slipped in quietly, locking the door as he turned to look around. There she was, on the plain green couch he'd got at a flea market real cheap. It was soft and comfy, and with her on it, inviting over ten times more. He walked over to her, taking off his sunglasses, his eyes shining all excitedly on her. "Hi there stud…." She purred out. 

"Hi….miss….eh, heh….you….um…well…."he blubbered out, gulping," Gods you're very pretty….and forward."

"I just know what I want….," she purred, eye his open fly, and dipped her hand inside. He gasped as she grabbed his manhood just like that, stroking and pumping her hand over it. He came after a few minutes of blissful contact with her soft skin, it was exhilarating, like jumping off a cliff and riding a tsunami. He was in heaven, then became embarrassed when he saw he'd stained his pants and her pretty white shirt. 

"Oh gods….I'm sorry," he said, pushing his excited manhood back in, trying to be a gentleman. He wasn't going to be giant pervert like his father, he'd do it right. He wouldn't ruin this girl's life like his father had done with his mother. He still missed his mom, the poor woman. Only sixteen and his father got he pregnant with him. They'd ruined each other dreams, mostly his mother's of being an actress, in not doing it safely. They'd been horny then, but he wouldn't lose his head. He'd think of this girl fully.

He screamed inside, still trying to be a good man when she pulled him on her. "For being a man….for being so…excited. You're a virgin right?" she asked sweetly. 

He blushed, ashamed. He'd been made fun for being the only virgin in his class. Gary wasn't in any of his classes, but he'd met him at the arcade. He never told Gary he was 22 and still a virgin. His father laughed at him and called him a homo. It was so degrading, but he never jumped into bed with anyone. He wanted it to be for love, true attraction. This girl was beautiful and seemed very nice. She wasn't laughing at him, wasn't calling him fruity or anything. She'd even bothered to touch him, intimately.

"Y-yeah….Sorry, no one's ever…wanted me. Not for anything." He said, reddening as he felt her tug his pants down to his knees. He felt very cool and warm, feeling a hand back at his manhood. He flinched, but moaned gently in her hair. "You want to feel me….we don't have to do it…just feel me?" she asked, stroking his rear then.

'Feeling is probably ok…I don't know her, and I have a club to run….we can go on a date later….a lot of dates…then…yeah then we can do it, protected. I shouldn't think with my other head….even if Dad says its ok to get what I need. I can't use her for sex….I won't be like my perverted father.' He thought.

"O-ok….just to feel….and maybe….can I ask you out….?" He said nervously

"Don't you want to be a man….to break me and feel like a man? Come on, a feel will only tempt you to enter my abyss. Sex is all that really matters. I've waited so long for you…." she giggled. He didn't feel so comfortable now, that evil little grin on her mouth was scaring him. He got off of her, tripping a bit as he yanked his stained pants up, nervously zipping them up.

"No, I don't want that,….it was just a thought, but I can't do that to someone….That's wrong….No….get out of here!" he yelled, but she only laughed, the blonde bleeding out of her hair to shock white. 

"You!? You're that woman….who attacked Gary and me!" he yelped, and tried to run, but the woman's hand was up and glowing. She leapt right in front of the door as he reached it and rammed her hand into his chest. He screamed, but the loud music drowned it out as she pulled the orange crystal from him. Then his skin starts to shift and stretch, moaning horribly. 

Kitty laughed gently above him. "Don't worry….you'll sleep with me anyway. We are after all….lovers." she grinned, kissing the rapidly transforming mouth deeply, getting a kiss back with growl.

~

Stephen was getting angrier by the second when he tried for a third time to get away from the strong red-head, Rika she had managed to say in a sweet voice. She wasn't a bad dancer or a bad person, but she was annoying him by thinking he wanted to dance with her or at all. He looked about for aid, but he couldn't see the others, or even his guardian cat's head in any of the vents. There were too many people in the club to see them and too many girls half-naked on stage to even catch a glimpse of Chi.

If they were here for anything else, he might try and enjoy himself, but everything was going right down the toilet in the blink of an eye. He even tried looking around for Gary, but that was a worse bet than finding a needle in haystack. 'Not to mention I'm sweating cause I have been dancing for nearly an hour with this nitwit and other clods have stepped on my feet over twenty times! Now my head and stomach hurt like hell and her pits smell worse than they did and hour ago….what else can go wrong?' he wonderfully harshly.

As if in answer, something exploded, like wood and metal, then came the screams and people pouring past him, clawing and ramming into his body. He stayed up, enduring it as the people tried to escape, only moving when the crowds stopped still. Stephen headed for the bathroom, relieved to see Lamont and Ray already slipping in. he kept his ice blue gaze aimed at the source of the explosion, the sick feeling getting worse. 'We blew it….Kitty beat us…to him? What the hell is she doing?' he thought, stopping by the door.

Kitty was frenching what used to be Shocker Chi, now a rather large and slim techno-organic warrior. He had claws of black that sparked with electricity, slits in his chest and CD's that were ever spinning in his shoulders. He was a goldish color, dressed in off the wall metallic colors, tacky to an art form. At least that weird guy who was with Kitty in her first attempt had the decency not to go overkill. His eyes nearly went blind from the colors.

'Oh man….and she's got the crystal now. We can't let her get away.' He thought and rushed in the bathroom as Kitty pulled away and cackled.

~

**__**

Kitty laughed and danced around her eager lover like the child she was inside, holding her prize high. It was utterly wonderful that she won, and no galaxy Knight to ruin her reunion with her lover, Vibes, the psycho electric warrior from long ago. He was still handsome and amorous with her, that same shock white electrical hair, tough gold skin, and lovely shocking claws. He was simply wonderful to see, that build, those empty white eyes. It put her in thralls of giddy ecstasy.

"Oh Vibes, now Kitty has you back and the Crystal of Spirit. Lord Specter will be happy with Kitty. Kitty will get time off for good work."

"BzzzSexual time off." He said in his computerized voice, a big grin on his crackling electrical teeth, his golden, forked tongue snaking across her cheek. She tittered, enjoying the long awaited feel, then turned her head to the cowering humans. Her power had sealed them all in long before she struck, it made it easier to keep unwanted pains in the butt out, and plenty of fearful and excited energy for her to collect.

"Vibes, darling, Kitty wants you to suck the wastes of skin dry. Now!" she stomped. He nodded, his electric hair swiveling wildly before the stranded shot out and wrapped about a few cowering girls and a boy. The strands crackling, draining their precious life force out painfully, making them scream hysterically. 

"Yes, Kitty wants them to scream. Kitty wants it all! Die humans! DIE!" she practically sang.

"Not today, miss kitty cat. **_Celestial Beam! Strike!_**" a painfully familiar voice rang out, beams of light slicing through the electric hair. The nearly drained teenagers feel heavily to the floor. Kitty looked up with growl to see Moon, Mars, Jupiter and Mercury all standing on stage, each balanced on different section.

"Galaxy Knights! Damn, always ruining Kitty's fun! Vibes, destroy them! I'll suck the flesh sacks dry. Keep them away from me." She growled, clutching the crystal tightly in her little hand as she bounced off to the cowering humans.

~

Vibes merely nodded. "BzztSure, BzzztSexy…." He uttered, and raised his hand. The knights didn't move when nothing seemed to happen, then the CD strewn about the stage whizzed up and slashed at all of them in a psychotic hurricane. The knights cried out, mostly the Mercury whose legs were assaulted heavily and bleeding, and jumped off in different directions.

"WE have to protect the people! Argh! Dammit, wake up Chi! You don't want to do this!" Moon Knight cried out, attacking Vibes with his sword. He felt a blaze of electricity go through him when his sword made contact, sending him flying into Jupiter. The green armored knight was trying to keep the possessed compact discs from getting near him and Mercury again, but now she was left to fend for herself.

"We can't hit him with our weapons….we have to use out powers….or we'll get French fried!" Moon Knight yelled, shoving Jupiter away and rolled in the other direction, narrowly being missed by more killer CD's. The once containers of music nearly sliced their heads off, now stuck and quivering in the wall. 

Moon Knight howled as another barraged flew past him, slicing up the backs of his legs. He tried getting up, but another hailstorm of the reflective disks spiraled at him, right at his head. He barely blinked as they closed in, then his vision blurred as he was snatched out of the way, the smell of roses filling his senses. He looked up happy to see Lady Glamour, a small cut on her arm, but otherwise beautiful and safe.

"Lady Glamour! You're back!" he said happily. She nodded stiffly and set him on stage. "You take the monster. Miss Kitty is mine, so stay out of my way." She told him, and leapt away without another world. He was stunned with what she'd said, but she was right about the monster. He got up as his legs healed, lifting his blade towards Vibes. The terrible creature that was once Chi was attacking mercury and Mars now, sending electrical claws crashing down at them. "Mars! Mercury! USE YOUR POWERS!! Jupiter! Help Glamour! **_Celestial Beam! STRIKE HIM DOWN!_**" Moon Knight yelled, the beams of light ripping into the creature's back. Vibes turn, black blood oozing down his back as his rage filled face stabbed into Moon Knights.

Mars took the hint first and raised his blade swiftly in mid-jump. "**_RAGING HELL FIRE! IGNITE!_**" Mars shouted as he span in the air, the fiery balls of pure hell sailing into Vibes' back and knocked him to the ground.

"**_Ice Slash!! TRASH HIM!_**" Mercury cried out, daggers of subzero cold flying into the bloodied back, pinning him to the stage," Your show Moon Knight! Heal him!"

Moon Knight nodded and leapt off the stage to land behind the groaning mecha warrior. "….**_ Celestial Healing Light! _**Encircle this lost soul!" Moon Knight uttered, his sword held to the heavens as the light of the spell danced above him, encircling Vibes' pain wracked body. The creature glowed for a moment, then shrank down, back into Shocker Chi, passed out from the process. 

"NOOOO!!! VIBES! NOOOO!!" Kitty screamed a ways off. Moon Knight turned a bit to see she was being kept at bay by Jupiter and Glamour, but was no longer thinking about the humans. She saw what Moon Knight did. "The past is dead and gone, Kitty. You lost your chance for love when you became murderous bitch. Chi is not your lover! He's human! You can't have him anymore!" Moon Knight shot back as Kitty went from childish to a white-hot raging inferno. "NOOOOO!!!!!" she screamed and jumped at him, her sharp nails blazing with dark energy. Moon Knight was stunned a moment, then stepped back hard, reaching for his sword. She still had the crystal and all he had to do was just to defeat her to gain it. His blade was only halfway out when she was nearly upon him, making him regretting not moving earlier.

He shut his eyes a moment, hoping it wouldn't be too damaging. Kitty couldn't be that strong. Then came a high pitched scream. "MY HAND!" It was Kitty, wailing and screaming only a few feet away from him.

Moon Knight opened his eyes, gasping. Kitty's left hand had been chopped clean off, leaking black and green blood all over her and the floor. The hand was in Glamour's pristine hand, the crystal still clutched in the severed appendage. 

"L-lady Glamour…you….how did you?" he stuttered, too stunned by her cool exterior. She'd saved him again, she'd hurt Kitty, but she looked as if she didn't care. Kitty vanished, still wailing and bleeding, which made Stephen very happy. Kitty deserved to suffer for all those she killed, all her kind had killed. 

Glamour simply plucked the crystal from the hand and dropped the dead part on the floor as she turned on her heels. She was walking away.

"Glamour….what do you need that for? Please, let us help you…." Moon Knight pleaded. She stopped a moment, looking up at the ceiling as if it were something profound. "You can't be involved with what I am doing. I will gain all the Spectrum Crystals, including yours. If you will not give it to me, I will have to take it by force. I have to be the one to destroy Specter….try to remember that, Knights." She uttered coldly, but he could hear hurt in her voice," Then I can know where I belong."

As soon as she stopped speaking, she took off in a run and jumped up, vanishing into the shadows of the ceiling. Moon Knight ran outside to try and see where she went, but there was nothing, just teenagers who were still trying to get in. "Glamour….oh, what are you so afraid of? Why won't you let me in?" he wondered aloud, but got no answer. He sighed and walked back in to heal the wounded, to think about what he'd just heard from the love of his life. Would she hurt them to get the water crystal? 

__

**~ Tokyo Park ~**

Glamour stood alone in the park by a small, secluded pond. She held the spirit crystal still, then raised that hand to the sky. She felt a flush fall over her skin like a waterfall of rose petals. Her dress began to seep away, the weight of her mask still on her gentle face, the bridge of her nose. She felt her body tense up as memories flooded her mind.

Then Lady Glamour was enveloped in the brilliant sunset light of the crystal, the power of spirit taking true form. As the light faded, eyes blinked, the crystal laying in black gloved hand, the sleeve of a maroon suit and black shirt, tinted sights looking upon the powerful bauble.

Gary just stared at it, not sure what was happening anymore. "So this is who I am…." Gary said lightly, pocketing the crystal before turning away to head for home. "I'm Lady Glamour….it explains so much…." Gary said softly, the sunglasses coming off easily, startling blue eyes shining up at the pregnant moon.

"Now I know….I'll save you both, your majesties, whoever you are. I won't let Specter take me down. I will get the crystals for you." Gary replied to it heavenly glow, smiling softly before replacing the sunglasses.

__

**To Be Continued….**


	17. Ch 17 Glamorous Mirror Maze

**__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of **Sailor Moon, **but I do own my knights, their friends, and the Dark Universe and their creatures. REVIEW! E-mail! Please!

****

Chapter 17

Glamorous Mirror Maze

- Months Later -

~ Shinji and Co. Carnival ~

- Opening Day -

"Come one, come all to the greatest show in Japan! Go through the tunnel of love with that special someone, win prize after prize, go through the mysterious fun house, and eat from our classic hot dogs to funnel cakes and cotton candy. Come to the fair!" the barker rang at the front gates. People were already milling inside and partaking in what he'd announced and more. They loved a good time, a good carnival. 

Shinji and Co. Carnival was one of the most delightful ones in Japan. It always came to town the same time every year, with a new show or ride, always the same classic attractions and foods. It was a slice of the spirit of joy for all ages, to be shared and enjoyed by everyone.

One woman on particular was not enjoying herself, a clown trying to cheer her up with bright red balloon. With a toss of her blonde hair, she stabbed it with her finger and blew the balloon to bits. The clown frowned, then got socked in his honking nose. The girl walked away, sneering, rubbing her gloved hand vainly. She wandered off to the Mirror Maze attraction in the center of all the fun. It was fun she would have normally taken advantage of, but not now. She was too angry, too scarred, to enraged to even consider anything fun or to be taken advantage of. She wanted revenge.

Kitty had been not only yelled at for losing the Spirit Crystal, that bitch Glamour had chopped her hand off. Now her perfect form was marred with scar at the wrist below her new hand, a terrible metal one Specter and Xeno fixed the stump with. She hated it, even if it worked like her true hand, but it wasn't her hand. Glamour had taken it and ruined her beauty. 

'Kitty will avenge what she did to my natural loveliness. Kitty will feed that stupid heroine whore her heart and hands…spleen, eyes! Then rip it all out her stupid high riding ass! Kitty will show her who's the queen of this world! Kitty will show them all, they'll all be sorry they hurt Kitty. My beautiful hand, ruined by that masked bitch! OOOOOOooo! I'll make her suffer for it….slowly.' she thought painfully, scratching a hole in the glove eventually.

She saw a young man standing outside in a barker costume, successfully getting customers inside. He was doing well and even giving out free passes to his hypnotist show. He was a cherry looking blonde boy, short for the age Xeno said he was, 17, but it didn't matter. He was the keeper of the Yellow Crystal of Solar, was in a strong sense. She'd already relieved him of his crystal when the carnival arrived days ago, but she had bigger and better plans. 

He had also been using the power of the crystal indirectly with psychic gifts, ones he used in his act. He was too adorable to be found mysterious, this poor boy Kochi Mayanomi. It didn't matter anymore. Kochi was a part of the Dark Universe as one of their rightful warriors once more, hypnotizing patrons to come into the maze of mirrors to be drained for the Dark Goddess. Xeno had the crystal safe with him, far from those damned knights and their bitch savior Glamour. 

She wasn't ready to take their warrior back. This was too sweet a deal for energy. Raven had all but starved their goddess of soul sustenance, so she needed a lot to be at her full potential. That and Kitty wanted revenge. It would only be a matter of time before those stupid knights would show up, and that meant Glamour would come too. Then Kitty would teach her to mess with perfection. 

The free passes were her idea, not only passed out by her willing slave, but she had sent many to every house and apartment in Tokyo. Glamour or the knights had to be in the area. There was no question that they were Tokyo resident since they always showed up so fast. The passes gave free admission to the show, then a big treasure hunt in the mirror maze with fabulous prizes. There were prizes, but not the kind that would make people happy. Kitty grinned at last, fantasizing about how many people would fall prey to her dastardly gifts. She could almost see Glamour opening one and getting her pretty face blow clean off. Then Kitty would be avenged, destroying that damn rival and enemy of hers would be sweet as sin.

**__**

'Soon, my poor lost hand, Kitty will avenge your rape from our perfect body. Soon, Glamour won't be so fucking pretty anymore." She thought wickedly, her teeth glistening as they sharpened in her grin. She stepped up beside the young man, ever grinning at his wickedly happy ace. "How goes the harvest, Hypnocide?" she asked coyly.

He grinned a bit, his now golden eyes on her, the eyes of the monster within. "Excellent, you highness….the humans keep coming. It will only be a matter of time before your nemesis comes to save the day. Anything special in mind for her?" he asked, his voice gurgling with joy.

She tittered a bit. "Just leave her alive long enough for Kitty to split her down the middle. If the knights show up….give them a show that will end them all. Kitty says so." She told him getting a quick nod, then he was back to calling for customers.

"Soon Glamour….Kitty will have her revenge." She giggled.

**__**

~ Haitsuchi's Arcade Heaven ~

Stephen followed Gary in, the call from the sunglasses wearing man this fine Saturday morning sounding a bit important. Allan was back from Europe and the arcade was all fixed. He simply smiled at every nook and cranny around him. He was very happy the arcade and Allan were up and running again.

It was almost as it used to be, a few new games here and there, new booths and chairs to replace the ones Raven destroyed. And there was Allen, behind the malt bar with Ray telling him about his getaways to England and Switzerland. Allan has a scar on his cheek, faint and pink, but nothing too damaging. He was still pleasant looking, a few inches taller than most of them as always, his eyes perfectly content and sarcastic at the same time. Stephen had to smile, it was good to see he was doing better.

"Hey Allan!" Stephen called, waving a bit. Allen's bright eyes looked up. "Hey Stephen….Gary finally got your absent-minded ass down here. I've been home for five hours, thought you'd be here sooner than Ray." He teased.

Stephen scowled a bit, the formed a little grin. "Same old Allan, bustin' my chops like always. Good to see you again, man." Stephen sighed out, hopping on a stool and shook Allan's hand heartily. Gary sat beside him, eyeing him a little. Gary had done that a lot lately, more than usual, like he was thinking about something and didn't want to tell anyone. Gary seemed to turn up wherever Stephen was a lot more often, he just didn't notice a lot till that night in the Mecha Room. 

Stephen asked Tenchi how long they were friends, if he'd ever been to the guy's apartment on a friendly level. Tenchi said he had no idea where Gary lived. They only saw each other in passing at college, and most often Gary would ignore everyone. No one saw him in any classes, they just had become used to the idea Gary was a student, probably in the upper classes with the rich snobs. He did say Gary was very smart, training to be a doctor, but no one knew much except he was Allan's baby brother and the most unsociable young man born. Tenchi had commented he was stunned Gary hung around with anyone, even someone a bit younger than him. 

Stephen did wonder at times if Gary just put up with him for the checks, or if they were really friends, but he pushed those thoughts away very violently. He really liked Gary as a friend, a lot. Gary always seemed to want to help him out and talk. Sure he sassed him and called him a meathead, but it was comforting to have a friend that close and trustworthy. Allan was always busy, he didn't always have time to talk to Stephen anymore. Allan had a business to run, bills to pay, and maintenance and cleaning, cooking, the works of any small successful business. 

He jumped a bit, feeling Gary's hand on his leg. "Stephen, did you hear me?" Gary said in his eternal cold voice. Stephen felt funny about that. He'd drifted again, he never felt this embarrassed about it, but the pressure on his leg felt heavy. He looked at Gary, the serious sunglasses wearing face staring back. "Sorry, thinking about how good the place looks….its come a long way." Stephen said, partially lying and patting Gary's gloved hand. Gary nodded and pulled it away, a small smile on his pale lips. 

"Yeah….Allan said he has a surprise coming for us all in a week, I was saying." Gary said, almost a bit of giddiness in his voice. Stephen nodded, and looked to where Allan was, but he was not there. He looked about a bit and saw him and Ray picking through the mail in a booth. "I'll ask him later…and what are you so damn happy about. Never heard your voice pick up unless you're yelling." Stephen shot back playfully. Gary actually blushed a bit, but shook it off.

"I was wondering….how's that relationship with the mystery lady of yours working out?" he asked plainly.

Stephen frowned a little, turning away a little to stare absently at the new blender. "I….I'm scared for her." He said, and it was the truth. Glamour was scaring him, her words still haunted him. She would fight them for the crystals to destroy Lord Specter, they had the same goal, but she wanted to do it alone. He didn't understand why she wanted to go it alone, Lord Specter never struck him as a sissy. He was probably the most powerful of the evil group on Earth, biding his time for a final fatal blow. 

He feared Glamour would do it, she was very determined and strong, and they'd end up fighting. He didn't want to fight her, he was in love with her. Perhaps he would simply give her what they had, maybe, and then just follow her to Specter and help her. He couldn't let her go it alone anymore than he'd let the others or himself go alone.

Stephen was the leader of the group, as much as he still detested being that, he had a responsibility. Mark had died because he wasn't being serious. "Sometimes those that bear a great burden are being unfairly pushed into a destiny, but….that doesn't make it any less important to complete. Not everyone is willing to fight the darkness….but sometimes, its all we have." Cyrus had told him off and on after Raven's murderous slaughter.

It sank in slowly, and he understood that it was either him or no one at all. The moon was needed by earth to control the orbit and tides. He couldn't just run away and try and forget it ever happened. He had a responsibility to it, by birth and by right, and he'd go through with it, for Mark and all the people that died. He wouldn't let anyone else die. He couldn't, he'd never live with himself again if anyone died because he shucked his duties as a Galaxy Knight. He'd get the Crystals, and find the long lost prince and princess. He nodded a bit. "But….I trust her. She smart and strong, I know….when the times comes, what she does in her life will work out. Even if she doesn't know it yet….I'll stand by her 100%."

"You really do love her, don't you?" Gary replied, his voice a little sad. Stephen looked at him oddly. What did he have to be sad about? "With all my heart….I've never been this in love."

"What's she look like?" Gary asked, shaking hid head a bit. Stephen blushed. If he said he was in love with Lady Glamour the super heroine, Gary might wonder why, and he'd have no excuse. Stephen wasn't prone to fall in love with people he saw on TV, only those in real life. He wasn't some teeny-bopper American girl with delusions that the Backstreet boys would have her baby just cause she kissed his poster. 

He a thought moment, staring at his twin dark reflections that covered Gary's unseen eyes. "She has….a beautiful body, long hair, like a river of….onyx. She has good taste in clothes….and works out. That's all I'm saying. Why are you asking?" he replied, eyeing Gary suspicious as the older boy squirmed.

"N-no reason, just curious who you zone out over." Gary said quickly.

Stephen thought a moment, seeing a pink blush on Gary's pale cheeks. Then Stephen got a little grin on his lips, giggling. "You're in love with someone, aren't you,?! Huh Gary boy? Ah hah….you're getting redder. You are in love! Who is she?" he whispered, still giggling.

"Gah, I am not…."Gary said defensively, but the blushing got worse, and his hand movements were almost erratic. 

"You can't fool me, Gary. You're as red as a strawberry. Come on, I told you….you have to tell me, what's she look like, don't be greedy, spill or I'll tell Allan and Ray." Stephen said to him all shushed. Gary was sweating, then looked off to where Allan and Ray were, still filing through the mail. He sighed a bit and rubbed the back of his neck. 

"Ok, fine, I'm crazy in love with someone. Eh….she's very beautiful to me, sassy, but really nice. Her hair is short….and her eyes sparkle in the sun and moonlight when she looks at the sky. She doesn't know I'm looking, but….I am. I fell in love with her….the day we met. I'm just…not ready to tell her how I feel. I….kind'a have some secrets….about my past, and myself. I'm nervous she'll….not want be near me anymore, that she'll think I'm strange." Gary let out softly, looking at the floor, not low enough for Stephen to see the ever-eluding eyes. 

"Then tell me." Stephen piped. Gary hiccuped a bit and looked at him, his mouth twitching. 

"T-tell you? Why?" Gary said nervously, but Stephen simply patted his friend's shoulder warmly. 

"Test it out on me….for practice when you tell this girl about yourself. I've been trying a long time to get to know my love….I'm ready to tell her everything about me, if she'd do the same. Someone has to take the first step….so practice on me. I don't mind, Gary." Stephen said pleasantly. Gary blushed again, but Stephen ignored it.

"Ok….I'm….not Allan's half brother. We're not even related. I'm adopted." Gary let out softly. Stephen blinked, but nodded. 

"Go on…." He told Gary. It hurt to be lied to, but he understood adopted kids didn't always feel very in place. Being dumped or losing their families to any number of things and being given to strangers. No wonder Gary was so anti-social. He was afraid of what people would think. 

"There was a big earthquake when I was six….I don't remember anything about it….or my parents. I just woke up in a hospital room in the dark with my head all bandaged up. They said my parents were dead, crushed in what was left of the house. I was the sole survivor, they told me my name, but I didn't even know who I was. I was in an orphanage for a while until Allan's parents came along. They said that Allan's mom wanted a child since she couldn't have anymore." He was saying, the paused a bit to look at Allan's messy haired head. 

"Allan saw me first and said he wanted me to be his….brother," he went on, smiling softly," They adored Allan so much they agreed. But I still, don't know who I really am. I have nightmares a lot about things I don't understand….I just don't want….to be judged by that, as an orphan with no past and night terrors. That's all." Gary explained slowly. Stephen absorbed it all in, nodding a bit, then gave a soft smile. 

"Its ok Gary….I don't care that you and Allan aren't related, or that you were adopted. I liked you for you. You're my best friend. And if this girl give you a snub act, I'll go straighten her right out for you. That's a bad thing to be judge over. I'm still your friend….so don't worry about spilling to her. Just be yourself and you'll do just fine, ok?" Stephen said cheerfully, punching Gary's shoulder lightly with a smile.

Gary seemed to relax and smile a bit. "Y-yeah….thanks, Stephen. You really helped me….more than you know. Thanks." Gary said softly. Stephen nodded and hopped off his stool. 

"Now you better tell her soon, ok? Sooner the better….ok?" he uttered, walking off with smile to talk with Allan and Ray. Gary stayed on his stool, watching him for a few seconds before sliding off his. 

"I just did…." He said softly, but Stephen didn't hear.

~

Ray and Allan were flitting through the endless mail when Ray found a booklet of free passes to a carnival attraction. "Hey, the Mirror Maze at the carnival is having a big cash prize treasure hunt." Ray let out just as Stephen walked up. Stephen, who was frowning at it, snatched the booklet out of Ray's hands. "I don't trust it, free passes to a promotional treasure hunt? It's a definite scam for cash." Stephen said, tossing it on the table. Ray simple guffawed and picked it up.

"You're just saying that cause you're rich, pretty boy." He said sarcastically. He was still angry with Stephen in a way, not just for hitting Angela. He was over her, she'd never give him the time of day for anything except friendship, but it was nice to dream. Stephen was better off than the lot of them and daydreaming and mouthing off. 

Stephen had everything and didn't think much of it, not thinking that others might be in need. He and his grandparents were doing well, but they weren't rich. His father was never around for him, only sending him postcards and such. Stephen had his father still and treated the man like garbage. Stephen's father was no prince, but was only trying to get the ditz to stop zoning out during important things.

Stephen reacted by hitting Ray on the head with a coupon magazine. "Watch yourself, Ray. I wouldn't go to this if I wasn't rich. Nothing's for free, even food. You act like I'm some spoiled brat, you brute." Stephen huffed.

"Brute? You little snowflake for brains meathead, you take that back, pansy ass!" Ray glowered, getting up from his seat. Stephen just scowled at him. "I will not, temperamental ass. Why can't you for once admit I might be right? Would it kill you not to turn everything into an argument, or do you just like starting fights as bad as Angie does?" Stephen snapped back. Ray growled and threw a punch, but Allan stopped it with his own hand and Gary dragged Stephen back rather forcefully. Stephen nearly tripped bad enough to knock Gary over, but the boys stayed up. 

"Chill you two, you both have enormous Jimmy's, but for Pete's sake, no fighting in my place. You both know the rules….you fight, you're banned for the month, or forever if you keep it up. Watch the testosterone boys….

"Hey, the thing is free, so why harp about it, guys? I think it sounds a little strange to offer money at a free attraction, let alone just one attraction. Normally, the entire carnival sponsors it for a small fee….I agree with Stephen, it doesn't sound very promising or safe. I heard people are vanishing there, and I sure as hell am not going near it at night. Those passes say it starts at midnight."

Stephen stiffened a little wriggling out of Gary's hold a bit at that. Ray did too. It was probably Kitty again, back after her injury. Ray thought she was out of the fight with only one hand, but the Dark Universe was clever and tricky. If people were disappearing anywhere, it was normally their enemies.

Stephen nodded a bit. " I'm going to the carnival for fun, not for some scam. Gary's right, it's probably a big scam for greedy, selfish people like Ray." He smirked.

It hit nerve and Allan was already holding him back from beating the crap out of Stephen. Ray knew what he meant, but it didn't make the insult any less degrading. There were very desperate people around in town and other cities. These people would sell their souls for quick cash and with the Dark Universe involved, it would probably come to that and death. 

'We've got to go to that carnival…and make sure….then I'm breaking his nose again. Sassy-assed jerk….' Ray thought, struggled away, nearly breaking free of the taller Allan's hold Stephen just smirking at him triumphantly. 

__

**~ Shinji and Co. Carnival ~**

- 11:30pm -

Glamour stayed in the shadows of one of the tents while angry patrons yelled at the carnival folk. Apparently the free passes were unknown to the human staff, but out of the poor people trying to hold back angry and greedy people, one was not helping. He was smiling. It was a young man, dressed like a magician, a shiny yellow suit and shoes, and a white sequined shirt. He was like a frail looking lemon, his golden eyes dancing a bit, wincing every few seconds.

Glamour narrowed her masked eyes, watching him move away, getting up on a box not far off. He stood there spreading his arms out wincing still, the pained look like a lost child. He probably was fighting the influence of Kitty, better than the others had. Still, no one could force the dark powers out once inside, not on their own. Only by great injury to the dark half could the human half escape. 'I should simply let them die, but I can't. They are victims, same as I will be if I do not gain all the crystals." She thought, watching the young man pull out a golden pendulum with swirls on it. It was a common hypnotist tool, but this one was a bit more fancy than most and swinging without slowing down.

"Ladies and gentleman please….all will be explained if you just watch my golden dance. Come one, come all, take a chance. Look into the spiral and be dazed. Gasp and be awed and amazed. Let me be your lovely guide. Let my power lead you….to Hypnocide!" he crooned, his silver bell voice becoming like broken glass as golden waves leaked from the swinging pendulum piece into the crowd and staff.

Glamour watched in amazement as the crowd stopped yelling, the staff, turning about obediently like colorful zombies. Soon, they were all stand stock still, their eyes glossy and vacant.

The young man let out an icy cackle, and kept swinging his pendulum as he hopped off the box. "Excellent well, my faithful drones. Now follow me verily past wood and stones. To the maze or mirrors, wonders abound. To drain you dry without a sound." His terrible voice sang out as he marched off.

"Without a sound…." They all said together, following vacantly, dropping their walls, the passed their purses, everything they were holding. She watched them go, then started to follow, keeping to the shadows of the darkened place. A carnival at night was creep heaven. The lighting of the place near vacant and most rides closed was eerie. It was veritable stomping ground for freakish tricks of the eye. She shook it off and followed, keeping several feet away. There was no guarantee the slave warrior boy wouldn't turn the zombies if he happened to see her instead of going on. The Dark Universe was dangerous and back-stabbing, they would sink to any low to get what they wanted.

It didn't take long to reach the mirror maze attraction at all, Hypnocide's human form herding them in to the left. They all went in willingly, bland faced and entranced by the power of the warrior inside the boy. She waited by a concession stand, crouched as the last of the crowd vanished inside. As they did, the young man looked up a bit, in her direction. She pulled back a bit, knowing he couldn't have seen her, could he? He grinned and waved at her, pocketing his pendulum before running inside. The doors were left wide open. 'A definite trap, but I need all of the crystals. Go!' she told herself, jumping out of hiding to run inside.

~

Stephen had watched the entire strange show from across the street with Ray, Angie, Lamont, and Cyrus. It had been terrible, the crystal had always been taken most likely, but now a ton of people were at risk. He'd been ready to transform when he saw Glamour shoot out of the darkness and pursue them. At that point, he ran right across the street after her.

He didn't hear his friends call after him, faintly hearing them run after him as he transformed, pulling out his sword swiftly. Stephen reached the Mirror Maze attraction as she was running inside. He paused a moment, looking around for any sign of the boy monster or Kitty, but he saw nothing and no one. He'd even lost his friends in his sprint. He could hear them faintly, transforming elsewhere. It wasn't far off, but he was more concerned with Glamour. She went in alone.

"IEEEEEEE!!!!" her voice screamed, ripping through his senses like a hot knife. Then there was and endless silence, his heart the only sound he could hear, nearly thumping out of his chest. "Glamour!!" he shouted and ran inside. He ran around the various mirrors, ignoring what would ordinarily be funny forms for himself. He had to save Glamour. He couldn't let her be hurt. 

"Argh, let go you bastard!" her voice rang out again. Perhaps it was right next to him, past the mirrors. He raised his sword to one, ready to smash it to pieces, then froze. His eyes nearly wept at what he saw inside it. The mirror did not warp his face or make a clear double, it was a woman inside, a half rotted woman screaming in silent pain. 'The mirrors….they're trapped in the mirrors. Oh gods….what has Kitty done?" he gasped, lowering his blade. He ran on, twisted and turns past mirrors full of living agony. 

He held back the pain of regret, lives he couldn't save again. If only he'd know people were disappearing sooner. He couldn't blame Gary for this, he blamed himself for not bothering to read the papers again. There was so much at fault here, but it was all Kitty's fault for being a sick and twisted bitch queen. 

Moon Knight too another turn, skidding to a halt so he wouldn't smash through a mirror. There she was, being dragged into a shimmering mirror by shimmering golden arms, claws and all, like pharaoh from hell. Her legs were nearly gone as she was pulled through. Moon Knight rushed forward and grabbed them and pulled, but the other side was strong and pulled harder. 

"Moon Knight!" it was Mercury's voice, very close. He turned his head a bit, seeing his fellow knights and guardian cat peeling past the hall he was in, skittering back to help him. He felt a sharp tug then, one that knocked him off his feet, but he wouldn't let go of the woman he loved. Moon Knight shut his eyes at the blinding light as he fell into the cool expanse, his friend's screaming voice feeling so very far away.

**__**

~ The Mirror World ~

Glamour rustled from her groggy sleep, groaning in pain. She felt like she'd been in a war and losing.

"We're sorry, we just don't want a child that's so….depressing. Sorry, this kid's no good for us….we want a happy child." A gruff man's voice sang in her ear.

She froze a little, looking at the mirror next to her. It was her past, when she was in that orphanage, before Allan and his family came and rescued that lonely somber child from lonely depression. As a child rejection had been the name of her game, no one wanted her. She wasn't happy enough for anyone to love.

The images in the mirror swirled to new images, the house of her true family, the faces blank and obscured with the infant, then mangled in a heap over the child's face. She could feel the blood still, those dead eyes looking at her, leaking and smelling of rot, the smell, the taste, the sorrow in those eyes of the mother, what was left of her.

"NOOOO!!!!" Glamour screamed, brandishing her blade swiftly and started to break the mirror. The images simply leapt to a new one, then two and three. She went on sobbing and breaking the mirrors.

"Lady Glamour!" 

She stopped at hearing his voice, the low talk of Moon Knight. She turned a bit, wiping the tears away. She pointed her sword at his approaching self, making him rear up and frown. "I mean no harm, why are you screaming?" he asked, his eyes on the mirrors, broken and whole.

"Don't you dare look at them. You're not allowed to see that…." She said harshly.

"See what? I don't see anything….they're just mirrors." He said tersely. She looked back with a harsh start, still seeing the images of pain and loneliness in them, then back at his face. It betrayed nothing. He honestly didn't see anything there. 'Its not directed at his pain….if he has any. He was broken up about Raven's slaughter, as I was….possibly worse. This place must show what we don't want to face, don't want to remember.' She thought, lowering her blade, still looking angry.

"All right then. So now what do we do in this chamber of horrors?" she said looking around, it was like they were trapped inside a giant crystal. All openings she could see looked to lead to crystal tunnels with endless mirrors. They were all blank now, but she had seen people struggling inside them in the real world mirrors.

"We find our hosts and get these people out. The crystal is long gone by now….I don't see Kitty, or hear her lousy voice. We have to think of the people right now….freeing that kid from Kitty's grasp is the way too it." Moon Knight said in his serious yet devil may care voice.

She frowned. The crystal had to be around. Kitty wouldn't just leave her monster without throwing a fit or something. She wouldn't believe the crystal was beyond her reach, not now. She looked to the reflective ceiling with a look of scorn. "Kitty! Come and fight me now! Winner takes all!" she shouted, slashing her blade high.

"And why should Kitty fight, when my warrior can do so much better against you imperfect creatures." Kitty's singsong voice rang out.

Glamour turned to the side with Moon Knight, both of their blades aimed to the white haired evil princess and her golden warrior. She looked the horribly raging brat's face, then her hand, the one she'd cut off. It was horrible looking now. A new hand in its place, metallic and green, mismatched to Kitty's snowy white tastes. It was like the hand of lizard, a terrible claw that shimmered most ghastly in the reflective world of light and pain. 

She cracked her knuckles at them, and Glamour frowned. It wasn't the gnashing sound, it was seeing Moon Knight was correct. She wasn't holding a crystal. All she had was the warrior next to her, standing three feet higher. He looked like Anubis, a psychotic version with glistening pearly teeth and a staff topped with an ankh and the hypnotizing pendulum in the other golden armored claw. His metallic ears twitched a bit, spikes on his golden shoulders of pure bone. He wore bracers of gold on his groin, thighs and shines, the horrible clawed toes scraping on the glassy floor.

"Drain them, Hypnocide….pay them back for the banishment of Kitty's hand!!" the rancid girl screeched, then vanish in streaks of white and roar. Hypnocide just stood at full height, maybe eight feet tall, 2 higher either of the warriors of earth. His gaping jaws widened a bit into sickly drooling grin. "Yes, my princess. Do not distress. Your beauteous hand shall be avenged. And soon all of us shall be revenged! AH RAHHHHHH!!" he roared in his terrible rhyme, charging forth with his staff.

Glamour and Moon jumped to either side of the attack, but Hypnocide turned on her, crashing his staff down swiftly. She flipped away, keeping her blade out. She was glad she had. Hypnocide went at her again, this time towards her head. She blocks and pressed back on him, but another blow came. She ducked it and sliced her blade across his armored chest. It made a slight scratch, but nothing more. The staff came again, glowing this time. She had no time to block and took it in the chest. 

"AHHH!!!" she screamed, sailing backwards as the energy blasted her into a mirror. It shattered about her, fragments slicing up her skin painfully. Glass became garnet, living red leaking from her pale skin to their glossy surfaces. She tried sitting up, but the creature was already towering over her. 'Moon Knight, probably don't want to risk hitting me….dammit, I don't matter that much….the crystals are all that matter.' She thought painfully as the thing swung his pendulum in her face. 

"Glamour girl, dark as night. End your passion for the will to fight. Little girl lost in further past, take in your blade and breathe your last." He chimed, the energy of his power sinking into her mind. "No…NO!" she yelled at him, but he kept repeating the words, swinging, and swinging and swinging to his black heart's content. She still had her blade in her shaking hands, she was lifting it with widening eyes. It turned in her hands, aimed at her gut slowly.

"No, you're human, you fool! HUMAN!" a voice yelled and Hypnocide reared up, the spell breaking with his pain. Glamour dropped her blade, horrified she'd nearly run herself through. She looked up wildly, seeing Moon Knight had attacked with his sword, then his power. The beams of light were hurting he creature, white blood leaking out of the armor and flesh.

Hypnocide wasn't simply taking it, he was still moving, right towards Moon Knight with his staff aglow. The creature was backing the young knight into a mirror, trapping him from escape. It was utterly obvious about what was happening, but Moon Knight kept attacking. 'He's leading him away from me….he….saved my life….No, I can't let him risk himself, I am supposed to protect him!' her mind screamed violently, lifting her blade from the glass littered floor. She raised it up, leaping high behind the monster warrior and shouted," **_CRYSTAL CUTTER!_**" 

The storm of diamond blades swung out at the thing's back, slicing it to ribbons, some coming out the other side, laced with white streams of blood. "ARGH!!" Hypnocide screamed, several mirrors nearby shattering at once, the shards blasting across the three of them. Glamour winced as she landed, several shards grazing her exposed skin, but the people trapped within the mirror world were disappearing, they were going back to reality. Yet Hypnocide's wounds were slowly healing, the white puss blood slinking back inside.

"Moon Knight, he's weakened, free his soul! He's starting to heal! Finish it!" she yelled to the awed young knight. "Right…..**_Celestial Healing Light!_** _Encircle this soul!_" Moon Knight said boldly, raising his blade to the ceiling. The beams of light soon spiraled from the blade to Hypnocide, the creature screaming louder. She grabbed at her ears as it got worse, the light fully surrounding the beastly warrior. Moon Knight stayed vigil, his nose and an ear bleeding as he kept true to his attack.

__

**~ The Mirror Maze ~**

Mars pounded on a mirror with his fist, only succeeding it spider-webbing the glass and hurting the person inside more. The other had no more than he had. Just watching the mirror painfully, hopelessness in their faces.

"Come one, stupid mirrors. Let them out!" Jupiter yelled at one. Mars rolled his eyes, glaring at his comrade. "Jupiter, you can't just yell at it and expect it to obey you."

Jupiter glared back, swishing his staff in front of him harshly. "We can't just give up, Mars! They're dying. Moon and Glamour might be dying too! We have to do something fast!" Jupiter yelled back.

Mars growled, slamming his fist on the floor. "What do you want me to do?! Clap my hands and ask the fairies for help!? Stop asking me!" mars yelled, clapping his hands mockingly.

The mirrors about them burst out, the glass flying past and across their bodies the moment he stopped. "Never make fun of the fairies, I guess." He heard Jupiter snickering.

He was ready to sock him in the face when he saw people at his feet all around him fast asleep and slowly regaining their strength. People of every age and both sexes lay strewn about on the glossy floor, a few mirrors in his sight not broken. 'Probably too late to get them out, these are all the people from the crowd. Damn….I'm reading the damn paper every day.' He thought, wading to his comrades through the sea of bodies.

He stopped by them, the mirror Glamour and Moon Knight had gone through still quite solid. "Did they make it?" Mercury asked, Cyrus perched on her shaking shoulder. 'For a guy that doesn't love you….I can understand why now. I still care about you Angie, but you broke my heart in being so single minded and cold. As Mercury is….cold as ice when it comes to love' he thought. 

Then the mirror began to rumble, shaking like a disturbed pool of water. The three knights back off considerably as the shaking grew violent, shatter spots splintering across the glass. As the breaks converge on each other, the mirror fell apart, a gaping hole behind it. Vomited from within the dark space came an unconscious young man in shiny yellow, Moon Knight and Lady Glamour in a black, yellow, and silver tangle.

Glamour got up quickly, moving past them in a dark and pale peach blur. She positively shoved Mercury and Jupiter out of her way and stepped on people still recovering. "Glamour wait!" Moon Knight yelled at her back, supporting the unconscious youth best he could

She stopped a bit, not turning, at least a few yards away. "What do you want? You cost me the crystal already….I don't have time to talk." She spat.

Mars almost saw Moon Knight flinch. "But….I love you. I was only trying to save you." He said painfully.

She lowered her head a bit, her fists clenched. "I can't be with anyone….not until I achieve my mission. I have to stop Specter once and for all….in love or not. I can't…."she said harshly, and ran away. Moon almost went after her, but he had to tend to the young man. Mars helped him best he could, they all did. Once they got outside, Glamour was already gone, not even footprints remaining.

"Glamour….oh, why do you want to suffer? Why do you want to take it alone…we want to help. Why are you pushing us away? Why are you pushing me away?" Moon Knight muttered to the air.

Mars sighed, feeling a bit bad for him. Glamour was beautiful, but she held dark secrets. Moon was too in love to see she wanted to be left alone. Stephen was sure a wise ass, but his heart was always in the right place. He didn't move on it. They had people to help right now.

"Moon Knight, there'll be another time and place….right now we have to get those people out of there before they smother each other." Mars stated loudly.

Moon Knight nodded, setting the youth down before turning on heel and going back into the shattered Mirror Maze. "Yeah, another time….I'll help her when I can. Now's what's important….the people matter right now. Yeah…." He said softly, but his heart wasn't in it.

Mars knew why, and it wasn't just Glamour's words. The Dark Universe had two crystals now, Glamour had one as did they. If that bastard Lord Specter got anymore, they would really be in deep trouble, the whole world with them. They had to find the next crystal keeper as soon as possible, not matter how big or small the lead was. Mars only hoped that Moon Knight wouldn't have to fight the woman he loved to keep their crystals. If you couldn't trust your allies, who was left to trust at all in their secret war?

**_To Be Continued…._**


	18. Ch 18 Will the Real Knights Please Stand...

**__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of **Sailor Moon, **but I do own my knights, their friends, and the Dark Universe and their creatures. REVIEW! E-mail! Please!

****

Chapter 18

Will the Real Knights Please Stand?! 

**~ Dark Universe ~**

- Kitty's Chambers -

Kitty sat quietly on her bed, looking at the tubes of viscous green fluids hanging from her ceiling. Two months of waiting and scrimping around for permission to activate to the polymorph modules, that's what this all came from. Specter had been skeptical of her actions until she got the Crystal of Solar. Xeno was no closer to finding the identities of the Galaxy Knights than she was, but she did all the dirty work of gaining crystals. Now they had two, and soon would be three.

Her childishly evil eyes danced on each pulpy cylinder, more like cocoons than glass tubes, covered in pulsing green veins. It was feeding them energy Kitty had gotten out of Solar's many victims, enough to power these devices of ancient evil. It was used to transform beasts of rage into sentient beings, but that was on the long dead Moon Kingdom. In the bowels of the Dark Universe catacombs, ones only they had managed to find on Earth after leaving their world of banishment. They were used to make soldiers from living creatures. 

Kitty was tired of being beaten down by the knights. She was powerful, but being attacked on all sides was rather difficult for her to handle all alone, especially with that Glamour bitch following Moon Knight everywhere and ruining everything. She licks her metallic hand thoughtfully, the rage still surging to the surface of her dark soul. Glamour still hadn't paid for what she did to Kitty's hand, and Kitty wanted to ruin that scantily clad whore's body for good for taking her hand. 

"Oh, Glamour, Kitty will make you pay…and your little meat sack Knights too. Kitty will make you writhe in your own blood and bile….Oh yes, Kitty will." She said with a wicked little giggle as the forms inside moved. Their nude bodies jerked a bit in their creation fluids, pressing beautifully to the sides of it. Kitty licked her lips. "And Kitty can have some fun with some of Kitty's new pets…as well." She added, watching the forms smile darkly at her.

Then, the tubes' bottom halves split open, the four forms falling down neatly to the floor with the fluids, bare and standing tall. They all stood at once, blank eyes staring back at her. The somewhat humanoid bodies shifted a bit, one growing the skin and tail of a lizard. Another was covered with a velvety and wet sheen of lavender fur and cat's tail. The next had wings of a locust, spines of poison and antenna, while the final one had a rat's tail and claws.

They all looked to her blankly, sneering arrogantly at nothing. Kitty grinned, clapping her hands. "Now….my minions…Kitty will get her revenge….so follow me and we'll get you all to, dress the part…." She chuckled. They all nodded and followed her with wet, bare steps that echoed almost forever in the dark halls.

__

**~ Shinden Fenikkusu Doujou~**

_(Sacred Phoenix Dojo)_

****

~ Ray's Room ~

-Morning-

- One Week Later -

"_And the Tokyo Police Department has declared war on the Galaxy Knights and Lady Glamour_…._once prominent protectors of our fair city turned violent criminals. The latest attack was on the Police Station itself, resulting in the near death of Police Chief Otakan Shinji. He is now in stable condition, but told reporters that his men and women would stop at nothing to find the identities of the Galaxy Knights and Lady Glamour and put them behind bars, not just for the attack, but for interfering with numerous investigations of missing and murdered persons_."

"_He said,' I knew they were trouble, and this just proves it. Only the police can protect this city, and we'll make sure its safe from these criminals.' This reporter can only hope….that the police can finally do their job without the aid of costumes heroes turned delinquents. This Mika Rhana, **Channel 6 News**_." The lady reporter stated, then the screen blipped off as Ray hit the button hard.

"Dammit….after all we've done for this city, they stab us in the back over imposters. I was nowhere near the woman's campus. I sure as hell did not rape anybody, male or female, dammit!" ray fumed, enraged.

Stephen sighed deeply, they all had a right to be annoyed and angry. In one week, they'd gone from heroes to perverted, violent zeroes. Mars was sighted at the woman's campus, and raped ten women and three of the girl's boyfriends, all emotionally scarred beyond belief. At the time, Mars had been with Stephen, fighting over who got to use his computer. Stephen didn't believe it was him that did it. Ray just wasn't like that at all, he respected men and women, and certainly wasn't that depraved or hard up to do such terrible things. 

__

Then the same night, Mercury had been sighted freezing people, animals, and foods all over town, shattering them to pieces with her fists and blade. Then, she went onto beating the tar out of anyone that got in her way. Angie was the type to start a fight, but not against people who did nothing but go about their evening casually. Angie wasn't abusive with her powers, she wouldn't do it and he knew it. 

Over the course of the week, Jupiter had been sighted messing with radio stations and blowing up gas stations. To top it all off, Moon Knight had been sighted robbing banks, people, and putting a good number of cops and citizens in the hospital for serious sword slashes. Stephen was very angry to hear the nasty things people would say about the Galaxy Knights, after all they did to protect the city, imposters struck one time and their reputation died in that very moment. Even Lady Glamour had a fiendish double running around, attacking people at random and vandalizing buildings and stores.

Stephen was deeply hurt, but it got worse when he saw himself and Lady Glamour robbing a bank, actually saw Moon Knight hurting people and stealing money not but ten feet away when he went to make a deposit. The same armor, swords, even his helmet and her mask, but it wasn't them. He didn't split off from Moon Knight spontaneously during the day or night. 

The Glamour with his double was far too sultry, flirting randomly with the men and showing her body off. As much as a turn on as it was, it wasn't Glamour's style. She was smarted and stronger than that. It had to be a Dark Universe plot, and it was a classic way to ruin somebody: Disguise oneself as your enemy and ruin them, then take them down at their lowest point. 

He growled at the egotism that had to be behind this stab in their pride, their very love for their city. "I won't let this go on another damn week. We have to find these evil knights and prove we're innocent. We can't let anybody else get hurt….or we'll get killed if we're caught instead." Stephen let out angrily.

Lamont looked up, miserable and put out. "But how….if we try and explain….we'll get arrested and revealed. The Dark Universe along with the entire world will get our secrets and Earth. We can't let that happen either, Stephen." 

Stephen nodded. "I know….but we can catch and expose them in public! Expose those fiends completely!"

Cyrus sniffed. "Please, there's a lady present."

Stephen shot him a dirty look and smacks his head. Cyrus tried to bite him, but missed and fell into Angie's lap. She looked up from the floor dully, quite upset as well she'd been made out to be a common criminal. "I mean for the villains they are, you pervert! All we have to do is get them where lots of people are, one of us tricks them into, robbing or hurting us, while the others, watch from the rooftops to transform and prove we're innocent. We'll make sure they don't soil our names….or threaten Earth."

Ray sniffed. "I bet I know which one of us gets to disguise himself….why don't we get to use the Transformation Prism? Why just you, meathead?"

Stephen rolled his eyes, taking out his pendant. "Cause I'm the leader, Ray. Get used to it. I make the plans….I got the moon sword and guardian cat, so I get the Transformation Prism." 

Ray stood up at that, his face still pretty miffed, and made a grab for the pendant. "Hey lay off, Ray! You can't use it, it's my prism! HEY!" Stephen yelped, Lamont getting into the fray.

"Oh quit being so greedy….if you're the leader, you're the last person who should be in harm's way. Let us give it a try. Don't you think we can do it?"

Stephen frowned a bit, tugging back on it from Lamont. Then Ray grabbed hold of it, tugging with Lamont. Stephen yanked back, but they weren't letting go. "I trust you both supremely, but it's my choice and my damn pendant! Give it up! Leggo!" Stephen ground out, and used his free hand to slap Ray. Ray shook his head a bit, but wouldn't let go, so he hit Lamont. "Let it go. You're being childish! It's mine!"

Ray kicked him in the shines hard, making him yelp, but he held fast. "Oh stop being such a sissy girl about this. You slap like a girl, you wimp!" Ray grunted.

"GIRL!? If I'm a girl so suddenly, you two are girls too, whining over this!" he said, then his cheeks paled as the prism glowed in their hand," Oh shit!" he was too late to let go, the crystal bathing all three of them in its magical light.

As his head and eyes cleared, he was aware of snickering, Angie's mostly, and little from the two boys, but….when he saw them, he gathered they weren't aware of what just happened.

"What are you laughing at?" he asked tersely.

Lamont giggled, utterly unaware how he looked. His hair was still red, but now in a high ponytail with rose earrings. Lamont had the illusion over his form as his own words, a girl, in fact a very pretty and taller one wearing a pink and white shirt, with a very leggy green skirt and high heels.

Ray was no better off, snickering away, blind to the fact his short black hair was down to the backs of his knees wearing a rather lovely red dress outfit and heels. "At you, Stephanie…." Ray snickered.

Angie just went wild with laughter behind them rolling all over the floor with a hooting Cyrus over it. The other two boys joined in, making Stephen frown. "I wouldn't laugh I were you, not if I didn't know what Angie was laughing at, Rachel….Laura…."Stephen said snidely.

Ray and Lamont snorted out their laughter, looking curiously at him, then both went to Ray's dresser mirror. Stephen smiled a bit, inside and out, when they screamed together, grabbing their faces and bodies. "I'M A GIRL!!"

"No shit, sherlocks….I told you to leave it alone, so now you lost your privileges to tease me about looking like this meatball head." Stephen replied triumphant, smacking one his long white pigtails pout of his face.

Ray and Lamont just stared with panicked faces, full of disbelief at their unwanted, yet illusionary, sex change. Lamont and he finally turned about, Angie still pouring our tearful laughter. "You're all so…hahahahaa!….cute!" she laughed and hooted. Stephen had the urge to kick her, he'd like to put the pendant to her and turn her into a boy, something she was more suited for, but he refrained. Angie knew what Stephen looked like as a female, but not the two teasing boys who'd been ribbing him about buying dresses and dating boys. It was all just a joke, but he didn't find being called something he wasn't. All in good fun, but not fun to him, and now the worm had turned. All he had to do was smirk at them and that's all he needed. The ribbing would come later.

Stephen's smirk fell lightly as ray took a swing at him, polished red nails, nearing scratching him. "Is Rachel PMS-ing over something?" He said, not being able to help how frustrated and cute female Ray looked. "How could you do this to us? And all you can do is smirk, you….damn meatball head!"

Meatball head? Again with those words. I told you two to let go, but nooo, you had to call me names and antagonize me. Well, deal with having some upper body muscle," Stephen smoothed out sarcastically, giving Ray's new chest a hard pat," Now its your turn to be teased….babe."

"BABE!? Why you little bast…uh…bitc.… ah, you jack ass!" Ray seethed and tackled Stephen to the floor. Angie just laughed harder and harder, near the point of fainting from lack of oxygen. Stephen punched and kicked at Ray, avoiding his nails, as Ray was Stephen's. "Great, a cat fight and we're not even girls….Ray, you and your damned temper. Can't you just admit you should have let go. OW!" Stephen glowered, yelping as Ray yanked one of his pigtails hard. 'Pretty real for an illusion….little dick wad.' Stephen thought, and kneed Ray in the gut. The forms would hold until they thought them away, but Ray wasn't giving him the chance to tell them.

He shoved a wheezing Ray off, smacking him hard for good measure. If Ray was going to act like some wimp girl over this, he'd get slapped like one. He shook his head as he stood up, and noted Angie'd stop laughing. 'Maybe the Maniac finally fainted….' He thought, eyeing her, but she was still conscious, and staring at Lamont.

He turned his head to the red-head, and nearly gagged. The boy was looking down his shirt with a hand down it. "LAMONT! Cut that out!" Stephen blanched. Lamont quickly yanked his hand out and stood at somewhat reddened attention. I was just curious how they felt….Nya!" Lamont said plainly, only to get bopped on the head by Stephen. "That's gross, don't be such a hentai, feeling yourself up. That's sick, Lamont. They're not real….keep you hands….eh, off yourself." Stephen said brashly.

Lamont looked like he was pouting, but nodded, and spread his arms at either side of him. Stephen groaned, rubbing his face hard. "Ah gods, just think the forms away and they'll go away. No more perverted looking at your fake boobs stuff….Ray! Not you too!" Stephen was saying, turning to see how Ray fared. Ray had nearly taken what he thought was still his shirt off, showing off the tops of the round illusions.

"What? We're fighting without getting blood on my shirt, meatball head." Ray growled.

"Not in a dress you're not. You're damn near stripping! You're still a girl dammit, stop!": Stephen warned, watching ray's face dawning with realization, then reddened as her started pulling the dress back up.

"Ray-san….what's all the noise?" Ray's grandfather's voice announced, the door opening to reveal the squat and elder man. Stephen paled, as did Ray who was still pulling his illusion clothes into place. Nothing was showing, but they all looked pretty….leggy and….pretty right now. Lamont was stiff in place, looking like the strangest of them with his arms out like they were. He looked like a frozen ballerina.

"Wow, Ray-san has a regular harem. I knew he had it in him. I don't think he'd mind if I inspected you fine foxy ladies, ne?" the old man giggled.

Stephen backed up near him and Ray, frowning as the old man's beady eyes went wild with lust. "Your grandfather's such a dirty old man…." Stephen grumbled quietly at Ray, who looked offended. "He's just affectionate….ok?" Ray whispered back.

Lamont whimpered. "Affectionate and drooling a river….he's staring at us." Lamont whispered back.

"Drooling, lust in the eyes, and rubbing his hands together affectionate….dirty old man. We're so groped if we don't start running soon…." Stephen hushed out.

Ray eyed him a bit. "Can't we just tell him the truth?" Stephen looked back tersely. "You want to be the one to tell him his grandson and two friends spontaneously changed their sex?!" Stephen hissed out, backing up again as the old man took a giddy step.

Ray frowned and shook his pretty head. "So what was your plan again….?"

Stephen nodded and waited till the old man was halfway across the bedroom to shout in a high pitched voice," RUN GIRLS!"

Stephen jumped over the guy first, glad his female form was as fast as he was, but miffed she wore a skirt. He could hear the dirty old bastard whistling under him at what he probably saw. Stephen ran for the training area, Lamont and ray branching off for alternate roots. Lamont was the one screaming in as high a voice he could muster," GET YOUR HANDS THE HELL OFF ME! HELP!!"

"Great….he's after Lamont's short skirt." Stephen growled in his own voice, thinking the illusion away. As he became himself again, he ran faster. Lamont would eventually get to the training area of the dojo and if Ray wasn't being chased, he'd probably be himself too.

"For once…why can't he be grabbing Angie's can. Not like he never misses a chance to try and get decked….dirty old man, Ray's grandpa's a total hentai!" Stephen grumbled, skidding past the dojo and running back through its large doorway.

Normally he'd laugh to see some girl who was stupid enough to be alone with the old codger anywhere at all, but not when the girl was a hysterically freaked out Lamont. Poor Lamont was standing in high heels on the rings while the old man was jumping like rabbit for his illusionary female legs, giggling and excited, probably about the view he was getting.

Stephen felt a little better when he saw Ray, the male Ray, come through another doorway, angry as hell. "GRANDFATHER!" he shouted, and the old man stopped, going serious and looking like child being caught stealing a cookie.

"Ray-san….eh, heh, heh, how nice to see you. I was just helping the young lady down….she….she's afraid of heights." He stuttered in his doddering old voice.

"Grandfather….you want me to tell Grandmother about this sexual harassment stuff again….? Hmm?" Ray said, utterly venomous about it. The old man hung his head down and shook it. "Then go to Grandmother right now or I will. Maybe if you hurry, I can convince this young lady not to sue you. Get going." Ray commanded, and the old man jumped a bit and ran off.

Lamont slid down after that, his male form returning at last, but his face was frantic and upset. "Keep that pendant away from me when you use it. That thing nearly got me molested." Lamont griped.

Stephen rolled his eyes. "Gladly….not like I didn't say for you two to get your hands off of it in the first place. Now you learned why only one of gets to use it….too many cooks spoil the soup….or the manliness in this case." Stephen chuckled, getting frowns from both of them.

"Oh shut up, meathead. We were having a serious discussion before you nearly got us all in big trouble. What do we do about those fakes?"

"Nothing right now….," he said, looking up at the dojo clock," And it'll have to wait till later. Allan called before I left for here and said he had a surprise for me at noon, along with free milkshakes and burgers. Some kind of little party celebration."

"Our names are being dragged through the mud and you want to party?" Ray gasped, angry again.

Lamont looked very eager suddenly. "Free food? Count me in….I'll go get Angie…." He cheered and ran off. Stephen chuckled as Ray's anger rose. "Think of it this way, Ray….Viper and Raven attacked the arcade once….maybe, if we hang around Allan long enough, Kitty will too, and we will prevent her from harming it. Viper always thought I was in league with Moon Knight. And my Stephanie form was seen with Gary by Kitty, the Gary who is always at the arcade after and before study session with me, remember? She might get curious and slip up…." Stephen said evenly," That….and it seems the D.U. seems to strike wherever we go that's having some kind of an event. Maybe we'll get lucky and snag a new crystal….and Kitty's plan."

Ray calmed a bit. "How so….? What if it's a private party, only Allan would see the imposters."

"Ah, not entirely….Allan's added some stuff with the rebuilt arcade, like video cameras in the arcade, the outside, and café area. They are in the…ahem, back room as well…or were…."

"Were?" he asked, and Stephen grinned a bit. "Every time I go there, I unplug them. Allan is usually still working when I come, and Gary's always comes ten minutes after I do…..so the bathroom and the backroom itself are transformation heaven. If we get lucky and Kitty comes to use the place for her own selfish needs like he brother and sister….we can clear our names. The Galaxy Knights can be heroes again."

Ray thought a moment, rubbing his arm. "That's a pretty big 'if,' meathead, but….if we can transform undetected and catch the imposters on tape with us stopping them….that might just do it. You got a deal, meathead."

"Stop calling me meathead, pervert's grandson." Stephen hissed.

"Oh that hurts, can't you think of something better?" Ray chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Stripper…." Stephen glowered, and had to duck a second later as Ray's fist went for his face.

__

** ~ Haitsuchi's Arcade Heaven ~**

- Afternoon -

The arcade was still bouncing with a many customers when Stephen and his friends walked in, Lamont straying from them to talk to a blonde girl with a braid playing Phantom Jets. Stephen shrugged. Lamont would come running at the smell of free food over any blonde in the world. As disturbing as Lamont's obsession was, he was still a good friend, and it could be tolerated to an extent.

He simply just gave a wave to Allan, who was busy behind the counter with a young woman sitting across from him, probably a customer. Her hair was long, wavy and deep chocolate brown. He couldn't see her face, but she was dressed professionally. She was probably Allan's age, with a purse of violet on the counter and so was her skirt and jacket suit. Allan waved back and pointed a bit to the side, the direction of the back room. "Gary's already there…." His elder friend mouthed. Stephen nodded and went to it.

"Now how do we transform, genius?" Ray said harshly.

Stephen waved him off. "Don't worry, worst to worst, we bop poor Gary on the head and blame it on Kitty. Or lock him in the bathroom….don't be such a baby about it." He shot back.

"Why you little meathead. Ow…..Angie….." Ray let out. She'd simply smacked the back of his head, looking angry with him. 

"Children, behave. We're at the door." She announced. The young men nodded and Stephen opened the door. He went inside the room, Angie and Ray still a ways behind him, and found Gary sitting there, a stiff lip, serious as always. His sunglasses betrayed nothing of his thoughts, but his thrumming gloved fingers on the poker table gave off that he was bored.

"How long he keep you in here, man?" Stephen asked, sitting next to him. Gary looked to flush a moment, why, Stephen didn't know, but the young man righted his pale peach skin and stop thrumming. "For two hours….and no food either, just stale bread and mustard in the fridge. He's making the food about now I guess….I have stuff to do, I can't be waiting around for surprises."

Stephen chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Poor baby….got a hot date or something?"

Gary blushed a bit, but it was brief. "No, not a date. I haven't….had time for that girl of mine. Been occupied with some other stuff….school project." Gary replied evenly as possibly, but stuttered a little. Stephen just grinned. "Yeah, sure….you're probably thinking about her right now."

Gary blushed again. "Ok, fine, so I am, can we drop the subject now?"

"He's so cute when he's all red and squirmy." Angie giggled, and both young men turned put out faces to her. "Lay off, Maniac. Gary's got his own love interest….and it ain't you. So cork it for once….weren't you supposed to not be hitting on us?" Stephen glowered.

Angie grinned, and it made his skin crawl. "You said we start over from the beginning, you never said anything about no complimenting or teasing you hunks." She giggled.

Stephen had his mouth ready to retort about her mental stability when Allan, Lamont and that young woman came into the room with a tray of burgers, fries and milkshakes. Stephen could see her face better as she set the shakes down, Allan and Lamont with the rest. Her eyes were reddish brown, a tint of a ruby perhaps, red lines beyond true red. Her face was heart shaped, and she was quite lovely. She was much older than him, but still, she was sort of pretty.

"Surprise." Allan said, clapping his hand down on Gary and Stephen's shoulders, making them jump.

"Surprise what?" Gary asked.

Allan almost rolled his eyes as his hands slipped from their shoulders and he walked to the young woman, lifting up her left hand. There was a diamond ring upon it.

Gary choked on his own breath while Stephen and the others could only stare a moment at her as she smiled sweetly at them all.

"Engaged?! Allan, since when?" Gary gasped out, looking almost red in the face. Allan shrugged. "We've been engaged for a year….I proposed to Akki right before the incident here.…so when I went away on vacation, I was recuperating with her while she was on a dig."

Gary stood up quickly. "And you never told me?! Or Mom and Dad? We're family….why didn't you tell us, why wait a year? Not just cause of the thing that happened to us."

"No….I just wanted to time it better, when the incident happened, Mom and Dad were too frantic about my health, little brother. I got a better reaction from Mom and Dad last night….you should be nicer to your future sister-in-law."

"Little brother….but I thought you said you didn't….oh." Akki was saying, but he shushed her suddenly. Stephen had to wonder why, but since no one was saying anything, he doubted he'd find out why. He shrugged and stood up, grabbing the young woman's hand and shook it. "Hi, I'm Stephen, Tsukikage, Allan and Gary's best friend….well, youngest best friend I guess. Pleased to meet you and congrats. I always knew Allan would get himself hitched. He needs a woman to clean up his pigsty of a house." Stephen told her, getting a giggle out of her.

She shook his hand back politely. "I'm Akki Kyochika, well, soon to be Akki Haitsuchi. Very nice to meet you at last, Stephen. Allan does nothing but tell me how he plays nurse to you. He says you're quite the day dreamer."

Stephen reddened sheepishly at that, but pulled his hand away to rub the back of his head. "Ah, shucks….Allan. He's always teasing me about bothering him for some gauze. I just have a big imagination….Allan just thinks it makes me a klutz." Stephen rolled out, looking softly cheerful about it.

"It does, meathead." Ray teased, making Stephen frown. "Yeah right….least my grandpa isn't a filthy hentai."

Ray jumped out of his chair, Allan getting between him and a smirking Stephen. "You take that back….your grandfather isn't even alive….he was probably a perv too. I mean, my grandfather's just affectionate!" Ray yelled, half muffled by Allan's hand.

"Hitodama, this is a party, not a wrestling match. Sit down and behave or I give your food to the patrons instead and you have to buy your own food. Sit." Allan commanded, and hesitantly with a glare, Ray obeyed.

Stephen sat down as well, then Akki and Allan beside each other. Gary was the last to sit, frowning a bit. Stephen could relate to having things kept from him. Things like important get together's and family things his parents conveniently forgot to mention cause they were too busy. Gary would get over this, Stephen got over his parent's inconsistencies and they neglected to inform him of more things than Allan did with Gary. He hoped anyway.

"No more fighting, let's just eat and talk, so we can all get to know Akki like I wanted you all to when I proposed." Allan said cheerfully, taking a big bite of his burger. 

Stephen almost smirked at that. 'Us….not fight? Hope you're really insured….cause if it isn't us starting the fight, its going to be Miss Kitty….she won't hurt you again, Allan….no way.' Stephen thought and picked up a burger of his own.

__

**- Night -**

The arcade was even more packed at night than normal, Allan and some of his new assistants taking care of a few problems with games, orders, and rough patrons. Allan had made a good move in hiring some extra help. He was rich enough from the profits. He could afford a few extra hands.

The evening had been nice, so nice it had passed quickly as they chatted with Miss Akki, an archeologist. She was a touch older in fact than Allan, only a few years, but she'd already got a doctorate and multiple grants to do some digging in some new ruins in England, where she lived. She was a Japanese native, but she loved traveling, and it didn't bother Allan a bit. He'd always be in Japan until Akki wanted him to come be with her.

It hurt a little to hear Allan say, even though he'd almost recently restored the arcade, that he would sell it to eventually settle down with Akki and travel the world by her side. He was happy that Allan had found the love of his life, but Stephen would never see his friend as often anymore. It was a sorrowful thought, he couldn't imagine life without his friends. 'Well, you'll still have Gary around, hopefully. Who knows where he'll go when he becomes a doctor. I'd hate being that alone….' He thought to himself, not paying much attention to what was going on around him.

Then his arm was pinched, hard. "OW! What's the big idea!?" Stephen yelped, finding himself staring at a surprised Lamont. "Um, Allan and Akki went out front, there's some customers causing a ruckus. He said they'd probably be locking up in an hour so….we can either wait here or leave." Lamont let out.

Stephen felt a bit guilty for zoning out again and missing all that. He looked about to see the couple was gone, the door wide-open and garbled voices filtering into his ears. Then it hit him. Gary was gone too. "Where's Gary?" he asked.

Ray sniffed a bit and jerked his dark head to the bathroom door. "He said he had to go….about two minutes ago. Pay attention next time, meathead." Ray smoothed out, a little satisfied smile on his face.

Stephen grumbled at him, getting out of his chair to go talk to Allan when a scream ripped through the air. "EEK! ALLAN!" It was Akki's voice

"AKKI! Galaxy Knights, put my fiancée down!" Allan shouted, and the sound of breaking glass and punches flying replaced them.

Stephen jerked himself to the bathroom and put a chair under the knob. It rumbled a second later, followed by pounding. "Hey! The door's stuck! Lemmie out! Allan! Hey Allan! What's going on!?" Gary yelled from behind it, but Stephen had to ignore it as he unplugged the room's cameras. "Time to transform…quietly…"Stephen whispered to his friend, getting three perfect nods as they held their ring bearing hands up, and Stephen his pendant.

**_~ Arcade Area ~ _**

"AKKI! NO! What are you doing to her, argh!" Allan roared from beneath the wicked Mars boots. Allan had tried to save Akki from Lady Glamour. She and the knights were all in disguise as the rowdy patrons, waiting for his assistants to try and call the cop before revealing themselves. Glamour yanked Akki away and was trying to get her hand lined up with his beloved's chest when he attacked, but Mars intervened and sent him sprawling. He could still taste blood in his mouth, and all he could do was simply watch the love of his whole life surrounded by the former heroes, crying and screaming in pain. 

Then Glamour's hand shot right through Akki's chest, swirls of purple light instead of blood coming out. He watched, amazed and terrified for them all, mostly for Akki's safety, as the hand drew out slowly. There was a violet crystal in her hand, sparkling darkly as it touched the air.

Glamour grinned like a giddy child and held the crystal high. "Congratulations, fellow _Galaxy Knights_, the Crystal of Shadow is ours. Ahahahahaaa!" she cackled, dropped a twitching Akki to the floor as the light went all aver her innocent body.

"Not in this lifetime, you fake!" a familiar voice shouted, and a streak of silver and white shot over Glamour, a slash appearing above her wrist. She hunched over, her form rippling as she cradled her wound, exactly and still like a child, the crystal no longer with her.

Allan looked about, wondering who did it, and nearly let his jaw hit the floor when he saw the Galaxy Knights, another set of Galaxy Knight all in a row, Moon Knight holding the purple crystal. "Do you think we'd stop everything just because you are ruining our good name….Kitty. I know its you, only you could sound like such a brat in perfection's form, you stray!" Moon Knight announced.

Glamour's form rippled away, and there stood a shorter young woman with white hair. She was hissing and growling at them, favoring her cut wrist, the other hand a mechanical clawed nightmare. "So? Who cares. Kitty is going to dance on all of your little spleens. Dark Galaxy Knights, kill everyone….no one gets out alive….then drain those goody-goody knights! ATTACK!" Kitty yelled, mar's foot sweeping off of Allan's back. He looked up to see that dark Mars was raising his blade over Allan's head, intent on the kill.

"**_Icicle Daggers! Banish him!_**" Mercury shouted, the shards of frozen pleasure ramming into Mar's armor, sending him back reeling," Run, sir….get outside and call the police! RUN!"

Allan looked to Akki, shaking violently when he saw it wasn't really Akki anymore, it was a lavender and black wraith with Akki's face inside many folds of the dark cloak. She held giant scissors, stained with blood, her face painted and fake. She wasn't Akki anymore.

"SIR, RUN!" Mercury shouted, and off he went, looking back only once with tears in his eyes at his beloved Akki, now a monster. 'Save her, Galaxy Knights, please. Save my Akki.' He thought painfully, hoping they weren't intent on killing the only woman he'd ever loved.

~

Moon Knight avoided the beam attacks and sword slashes of Dark Moon, but the guy was twice as strong and fast as a normal person was. Moon just leapt away, his attacks having no effect on the creature. Mercury was after her dark half, mars, his, and so was Jupiter. 'No….we can't fight ourselves, our attacks cancel each other out….we have to mix it up or they'll get us an the crystal!' he thought, wincing hard as Dark Moon slashed across his arm. Blood flowed, but Moon managed to avoid the next strike, getting closer to the others.

"Guys! Change partners! We're not succeeding in fighting our doubles!" he shouted, hoping they'd get the point. They didn't at that moment, not until Dark Mars raised his hand at Mercury as he fended Mars off with his won dark blade. "**_Flare Arrows! _**Destroy the knights!" he yelled in garbled voice.

Moon's eyes went up in alarm as arrows of flame shot at Mercury. He turned quickly, taking a hit in the side, his armor for the most part preventing a bloody wound, and ran at her. He rammed her to the floor as the flaming arrows zoomed past their heads and blasted out a window.

"Shit, we're destroying the place! Everybody outside! NOW!" Moon called and rushed out, dragging Mercury behind him, without another word. Jupiter followed quickly, while Mars stayed behind long enough to get his dark half on the ground.

As Mars rushed out, their dark halves were coming out the shattered and even an intact window, smashing it to pieces.

"Strategy guys….Mercury gets Dark Mars while Mars goes after Dark Mercury. Jupiter, you take my dark half and I'll take down yours. We can't fight them with the same elements or they'll simply heal them. Are we clear in it, cause I don't have time to say it again?" Moon let out quickly. He got the nods he needed and moved himself apart from them, to where Dark Jupiter was, right beneath one of the outdoor security cameras. 'Even more pay dirt. This will prove we're innocent once we expose them….' He thought, avoiding the staff the dark warrior wielded. 

He took a leapt backwards from Dark Jupiter and slashes his sword out at him. "You're a bad impersonator, Jupiter would never harm innocent people. **_Celestial Beam!_**" Moon shouted, the beam of light ripping from his blade and into Dark Jupiter's chest. He actually yowled, his helmet flying off. Moon Knight gasped a little, the face wasn't Lamont, thankfully, but a dark haired young man with whiskers, like a rat.

'Animals….they're animals?' he thought, jumping back at the thing screeched in pain and evaporated before his eyes. 'The helmet's, it keeps them stable as imposters….' He mused, grinning. He leapt up and aimed the camera at the others, they would be proved innocent of the crimes now.

Moon whirled around at them and shouted," The helmets! Get their helmets off, they're just animals! They're not people!"

"Maybe so, meat sack, but soon you'll be little pet for the Dark Goddess." A garbled and feminine voice snaked behind him. He paled under his helmet a bit, turning his head to receive as slash a cross his face. He fell over, blood stained eyes seeing the creature Akki had become, her giant scissors snapping softly before her. 

"Akki…." He whispered.

"Now, you face the wrath of the Shadow warrior, Mordrid! Pray, little worm!" she cackled, pulling the scissors open wide, the blood of the past gentling dripping on his chest.

"Not this time, villain!" Lady Glamour's voice rang out, Moon feeling his body be swept up by the real Glamour, her scent and voice as perfect as he knew it to be. Her soul felt far warmer to him than did Kitty pretending to be Glamour. Kitty couldn't hold a candle to her.

She set him down, then went right back at Mordrid, who's scissors cut short the life of the space Moon had been in. She looked terribly puzzled a moment, then angry, and it only worse as Glamour slashed her side.

"Gotta help her….that's Akki…." He said to himself, picking himself, sore and hurt, and beat back Mordrid with his love. Moon let his eyes wander a bit during the fight to the other, smiling to see Mercury had sent Dark Mars away and Jupiter was just shocking Dark Moon like crazy, kicking the helmet away to reveal a reptilian humanoid underneath. Dark Mars was already gone, so he'd have to wait till next time to see what the thing was. He knew they'd return. Monsters blew up or melted, no simply vanished with such easy hits. They weren't even fatal. Kitty wouldn't simply waste her own time with easy opponents.

Moon simply shrugged it off. They'd make Kitty pay for hurting Allan's fiancée and damaging the arcade, not to mention nearly killing everyone in it and ruining the Galaxy Knights' reputation. Kitty joined her family in going to far. When they involved good friends in their plots, it just made the knights all the angrier. He blocked an attack from Mordrid as his thoughts cleared, his eyes on Mars fighting Dark Mercury. "Mars! Hurry up, we have to free Mordrid from Kitty's control! Try and unlock that attack Dark Mars used on Mercury! Hurry!" he shouted, getting batted away by Mordrid's claws.

~

Mars nodded sharply, resorting to fighting with his blade hand and clenching the other. Dark Mercury had all of Lady Mercury's skills, but none of her brains for fighting tactics. She hissed a lot and clawed, relying too much on her weak physical attacks than her magic. It was no problem to avoid the physical attacks, but the Icicle Dagger attacks were lining his leg. When cornered, she struck back like a wild animal with magic. Now, she wasn't using magic much. She probably saw no threat of one handed sword moves, from a human anyway. Moon had said they were animals, so he had to bet what he was fighting was a cat. It'd be just like Kitty to make the only girl on her team a feline, very egocentric. 

It didn't matter much, Allan's fiancée was after their heads and if he didn't hurry up, she'd rip through the others. The knights and Glamour needed to weaken her before she'd try to escape with the now absent Kitty. He hissed in pain as she claws his arm, his mind growing hot with rage at fighting such an evil and immoral creature, impersonating Angie, all them impersonating them. He'd been labeled a rapist by the media because of Dark Mars, Mercury called a violent bully. Angie could get in fights, but she did not randomly kill people over temper tantrums. These things had the gall to ruin them. 'Not anymore! You won't ruin our good names anymore, you bitch!" Mars shouted at her, raising his now flaming fist. He didn't realize it was alive with flames until he punched her square in the face, her helmet and head snapping back sharply. He heard no crack, but saw the lavender feline-woman face with a bloody nose and mouth looking up at him from the street. With that, she vanished, leaving nosing but a small puddle of garishly dark blood behind.

He looked at his hand, smiling in awe and wonder at the power he'd unlocked. "MARS! Hurry!" Moon shouted. Mars looked up, seeing Mordrid soar above the arcade, trying to escape. She was badly beaten up, but not enough to weaken the hold she had over Akki. "You won't get away!" he shouted, charging to the building and leaping up swiftly to the roof. He splayed his hand out at her, Mordrid slowly turning around to attack.

"**_Flare Arrows!_** BURN!" he shouted, opening his fist to let the arrows of purest molten flame fly free from his gloved hand. They swirled and streamed like amber missiles, slamming into Mordrid's face and chest. She wailed in pain and toppled, clawing at her flame decked body.

"MOON KNIGHT! NOW, HEAL HER!" Mars shouted, landing neatly on the roof ledge. Moon Knight was soon beside him, his blade raised high. "**_Celestial Healing Light!_** Encircle and cure this lost soul!" Moon called, the swirls of light coming and wrapping about Mordrid's form. Within a minute of the light encircling her body, it left, leaving an unconscious, but alive Akki standing then, then she collapsed, letting out a sigh or exhaustion.

Mars picked her up, finding her for the most part unharmed, only a little sooty. Moon Knight was already hanging off the rood, grabbing the video tap of the battle. "I'll be making a copy of this for every news station I know of. Get her to Allan, distract him while I get the tapes from inside." Moon said quietly, jumping over the side. Mars nodded and did the same, landing neatly by Jupiter and Mercury. 

Allan came around the corner a few minutes later, panting and tearful. He must have run a long way to call the cops. They couldn't stay for a happy reunion. If the cops were on their way, the Galaxy Knights had to be gone. If they stayed, they'd get arrested. The tapes had to be sent out before they were seen publicly by any authority. 

"A-AKKI! Ah you saved her! Thank you so much, Galaxy Knights!" Allan wept, grabbing her swiftly out of Mars' arms, lacing her warm face with kisses and tears. Mars just nodded and grinned. "Be sure to tell the cops you were attacked by the imposters….Sorry, but we can't stay and chat. Not until the police believe that it's not the real Galaxy Knights wreaking havoc across Tokyo," he said, looking back a bit to see Moon Knight jump back on the roof," Farewell, sir." Mars said with a bow, and ran off into the night, Jupiter and mercury close by.

~

Moon jumped from rooftop to rooftop, the tapes tucked under his armored arm while the violet crystal was tightly held in his other hand. He'd get home this way, he didn't need to be seen when the whole city was after them. No one looked up anymore, so he felt he was safe. All he had to do was get home and transform back. Then he'd make lots of copies and mail these tapes out. He'd make Kitty really sorry for trying to drag them through the mud. That would come later, right now he could go home and report to Cyrus that they had proof now, and knew how to combat with their enemies. It wasn't humane to kill animals or anything, but if the creatures were beyond help, they'd have to be destroyed.

'Better lizards, cats, rats, and whatever's than human beings….I may not like all this, but I never chose to be a Galaxy Knight. It chose me….and for Mark, Cici, and everyone else that has suffered because of the Dark Universe….I'll keep fighting, no matter what. I will find the Earth Princess and Moon Prince and the Soul Crystal, then we stop the Dark Universe cold….forever.' he thought, leaping on.

__

**~ The Tsukikage Household ~**

Moon Knight crawled into his room through the window, landing softly on his bed. He stretched a bit, not bothering to shut the window just yet. They had heavy foliage and trees behind their house. No one would see. Cyrus looked up at him from the pillow, lounging as always.

"How'd it go, Stephen?" Cyrus asked. Moon Knight shrugged and thought away his transformation, Stephen Tsukikage back in charge and holding up the tapes and the crystal. "Not only did we get proof that we're innocent, we got the next crystal, only three to go now."

"Good work….now I don't have to sass you all night for losing one." Cyrus yawned, only to get launched off the bed and to the floor as Stephen sat hard on the mattress. "You sass me regardless, pussy cat…."Stephen chuckled, pulling off his shoes and socks, then shirt and pants. He stretches again and put the tapes under his pillow, the crystal under the mattress with the others.

Cyrus just wrinkled his nose. "You stink….I'm not sleeping on the bed if you smell that bad."

Stephen gave a wry, lazy eyed grins and he plopped down, pulling the covers up. "Then sleep on the floor like a normal cat. I'm too tired to take a shower….I've not only been chased around by that horny old goat grandfather of Ray's, turned into a girl again…I have been running around making the Galaxy Knights get back in the good eyes of the people of Tokyo. Stop smothering me with petty orders. I'll shower tomorrow….jeez, complain, complain." Stephen grumbled. Cyrus hissed a bit, leaping onto the foot of the bed and curling up nicely.

"See…you can take a little hard work aroma. Leave the ordering people around for tomorrow…yawn….I'm beat. Just nearly got my ass kicked by giant me-lizard." Stephen drawled out, his tine sleepy.

Cyrus nodded slightly. "A you-lizard, might be an improvement, takes orders better." Cyrus sassed, getting bounced up by Stephen's covered foot. He landed again, his furry face sour.

"Orders and insults tomorrow, kitty cat….Moon Knight needs sleep." Stephen muttered, picking his shirt off the floor and balled it up, then tossed it at the light switch. The room went dark only the pregnant moon's silvery embrace shining down upon him as he fell into his dreams.

"So….Moon Knight is just an ordinary teenage human….my, my, Kitty is most pleased." A childish voice uttered from outside his window, decked in shadows, but neither cat nor boy was awake to hear it. Neither knew…. that Stephen had been seen by their enemy, who had followed him well all the way home.

"Kitty's little secret now….lovely boy. Your life…is mine." She tittered, her silhouette vanishing in the night.

__

**To Be Continued….**

Teaser: Kitty stalks Stephen, and attacks after much debate, but another secret will exposed, along with devastating nightmare. Can Stephen and his friend survive it?


	19. Ch 19 Dilemna! Secret Identity!

**__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the **Sailor Moon** series.

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Author's Note: This is an extremely long chapter, 38 pages people. It doesn't top the Chapter 19 of Slayers for the Future record page number for me, set at 153 pages, but it's the longest in this series. This is most of 'secrets revealed' and 'foreshadowing' chapter, and plenty of romantic themes. Enjoy and sorry this took so darn long to post.

****

Chapter 19

Dilemma! Secret Identity! 

- Night -

**~ The Tsukikage Household ~**

- Two Weeks Later -

Stephen slept eagerly this night, for the past week had been nothing but bad luck for him and those he got near. First it was little things that amusing him, his father's ties in the toilet, his mother's curler went nuts in her hair, then his little sister's stuff animals all losing their heads. He was blamed for the last one. Somehow, a few of the missing head found their way into his sock drawer. He denied any wrongdoing. If he'd done anything, he'd have hidden the evidence or destroyed it. Casey would rip his room apart if she could anymore to find evidence of any slight mischief, or anything juicy from his journal for her to brag to schoolmates about. 

Those were things of the past, nothing to concern himself about with a handy lock on his door, but his parents still had the authority to come into his room and do a search. So he was grounded all week, content his parents were too busy with their own lives and Casey to notice his new phone line was still hooked up. True enough, he did a lot of sneaky things behind their back, but not often was it sinister and it was never really illegal. He did things so he could be a better knight these days, not just as defiance and to have more privacy and things for him to contend with. Still, those things were a piece of cake to stand compared to what happened elsewhere to him. He used his phone to talk to Gary quietly, knowing his parents were oblivious to the fact. At least that kept him company during the insanely quiet boredom his room held. There were only so many things he could do for a few hours before he got bored.

A few times during schools, for no reason, he found himself and even Cyrus in fights at school, getting detention for it while Cyrus got sent home in a pet taxi that was way too small. He couldn't understand why it was happening or why even Cyrus would join in and not reprimand him like always. It made no sense. Then the cafeteria had a vat of pudding and spaghetti sauce explode and paint half the students, including himself and the walls and floors red and chocolate brown.

Then Chem. Lab went crazy when the frogs all suddenly got loose, living frogs! They were supposed to be dead and full of formaldehyde He suspected the Dark Universe, but no one was being drained dry, no one was dying or vanishing, it was just a lot of strange pranks. They seemed like innocent, yet wild, pranks. Just off the wall things, like a student was in a right whimsically destructive and childish mood to humiliate the school. 

He felt worse for Cyrus than himself. The poor cat had been poked and prodded for rabies nearly the entire week for his sudden mood swings. One test was enough, but since it kept happening, more tests, and one sore kitty. He'd pick Cyrus up tomorrow and bring him home first. He'd told Gary on the phone to meet him at his house and they'd go to his apartment afterwards to finally study. His grounding ended tonight at least. Maybe there'd be no more pranks now. It couldn't go on for another week, could it?

Stephen simply rustled in his sleep, rolling over a bit in his sheets. It felt hot tonight, so the sheets were barely on him, his window open so a cool breeze could steadily come to him. He was wearing his boxers as usual, and it helped to cool him off. It was helping to make his sleep more comfortable, but he couldn't shake off the creepy feeling inside him, the rumble in his flat stomach, that he felt somewhere faraway in his dreams that something was wrong.

But in dreams, who cared? Who cared that he wasn't alone in his room, two deathly evil pink eyes gazing at his sleeping form like a hungry lion? He would, if he were awake.

~

Kitty just grinned wildly at her prey, taking step after step closer to his bed. She looked down upon him, and lifted her hand towards his heart. She strokes it with her ruined hand, softly down to his smooth stomach. She grinned as the body tensed and ticked. "It'd be easy for Kitty to kill you right now. Very easy, but Kitty wants you to suffer for all the times you beat Kitty. Your death will linger and you'll writhe powerless against me, pretty boy Moon. Kitty wants you to know you can't win, that Moon has no hope. Little boy, very beautiful boy….-growl-" she purred out with a chargrin. 

Those thoughts were still iffy with her. Specter wanted them drained then killed, but he was so gorgeous for a human. She had other thoughts, to drain him slowly, to enjoy his rare male beauty and then make him her slave as Raven made the Mark boy. If Specter would let her, Moon could be her eternal pet and slave. Without his power, Moon was useless as anything else but a chew toy, so why not work on that angle.

Plans changed as she made his week miserable and humiliating for all humans near him. Stephen Tsukikage was the biggest daydreaming genius at the school, but strayed from fights, only walking into a few by accident. How he had eluded them for so long was beyond her. His hair and eyes, so much like frosty snow and icicle pools, were unique, rarest of rare. He should have been an albino, but he was not one. He was simply amusing, intelligent, and a cynic at best. If Specter could be sated a bit more with more crystals and energy, maybe he'd put Moon on their side. The Dark Goddess had the power to charm people if they were weakened enough. 

Kitty sniffed and leaned over to look at his face. "Tomorrow, pretty one, tomorrow is your last day as the Moon Knight….soon, you'll either be a pretty corpse or a living pet slave for Kitty. Sweet dreams, while they last." She tittered softly, prying his mouth open slightly. Then, she kissed him deeply into his pillow, feeling a bit of a pressure reaction. The boy was probably having a similar dream, about that Glamour bitch. Then she sensed he was coming to, so she quickly jumped away and out the window, gone like the cool wind. 'Soon you'll dream for us…Kitty will rule you forever, lovely boy.' She thought wildly.

Stephen just blinked awake and rubbed his mouth. He smacked his lips a few times with a puzzled look on his face. "Why does my mouth taste like….stale candy? Ah….who cares, that Glamour dream was nice." He smiled softly, and plopped back into his bed, falling asleep again to get back to his dreams.

**_~ Dream ~_**

Stephen felt cold for some reason, and his bed felt like a load of rocks. He tussled a bit to even it out, feeling a sharp pain in his shoulder. He bolted upright, staring around will icy blues eyes at his dream. It was an endless dark cavern, dripping with moisture, but he was no water sources like a lake or anything, aside from the tiny glassy puddles in a few nooks and crannies on the floor. He was wearing his normal attire in this dream, but the right shoulder had a gash on it. The bleeding was slow and almost numb, and this was a dream, the kind that didn't kill you.

Stephen stood up slowly, looking around again before starting to walk through the damp cavern. It seemed endless, a thick fog rolling around him as he moved careful and slow. He kept going, the silence freaking him out. Then he felt the grounds leave his feet, his foot had hit dead air and all he could do was flail. He fell into it, annoyed that he'd seen the dark ground earlier and it decided to screw with him. 

He fell until his skin was deathly cold, and he found the water source, a chilly lake with ice bopping around it. He sputtered as he surfaced, shaking his cold and wet head off. The fog wasn't as thick where he was swimming, but it was enough to obscure where he'd fallen from and, as it appeared, an exit. 

Stephen just started swimming, the fog seeming to trail him like a lost dog. He went on, his limbs growing number by the moment from the icy chill of the water. Then he saw something, a small island a ways off in front of him. He thought he could see a leg, no legs in boots. There was some strange light around him, dark blue possibly. He didn't care, he just wanted out of the water. Stephen swam as hard as his numbing body could allow. 

Once he reached the island, he could still see the boots, and reached for them, but his hand met with glass. It was deathly cold, maybe it was ice. He tapped it with his finger and scratched at it. It wasn't behaving like ice, not a scratch, but it was still as cold and smooth. He stood himself up, reaching around for the rest of whoever it was, meeting with more of the strange glass-ice, the fog still in his way. He even lost sight of his feeling hands thanks to it. 

"What gives? Stupid dream! Get rid of the damned fog!" he swore. As if the dream understood, the fog parted. Stephen jumped back a bit at the action and nearly toppled back into the water when he saw what it was hiding. It was a young man, maybe twenty or so, staring back at him with a horrified expression on his pale, imprisoned face. The man in the large crystal shaped block looked to be trying to shield himself, frozen in terror. A few bruises and cuts were on him, like he'd been in a battle. 

He couldn't tell what color hair or eyes he had. The ice made everything looks light and dark blue or gray. He looked like a student, the uniform made it look that way, but the strange shoulder pads, the gloves, and the boots, they made him look like a soldier of some kind. He had earring studs too and short hair, but his pained expression got to Stephen the most. He felt pity for the man. The young man looked to have barely lived his life before thrown inside this thing.

He touched the glass ice with his right hand gently, where the face was across from. "Who are you? Am I supposed to find you too? What is this place?" he asked the face, but got no reply. Stephen didn't expect it. From dreaming about girls with meatball hair to guys trapped in glass-ice crystals in the middle of a frozen, dark lake, his weirder dreams were never really specific or sane. Stephen sighed, giving the glass-ice a final pat before starting to pull his hand away. 

Then a greenish light pulsed under his hand, a painful -thock- hitting his palm. He drew his hand back, holding something within it. He opened his hand carefully, peering at what had been thrown out of apparently nowhere into it. It was a gemstone of jadeite.** They studied this stone in geology. It was only just to be looked at and then returned to those who donated them, but they were considered precious for jewelry. It wasn't exactly emerald worth, but it was still lovely.

He turned it in his hand a bit, cool to the touch and smooth, then he looked back up to the glass–ice prisoner. Stephen gasped as he watched the body moved a bit, then rushed at him through its prison. "Free me!!" he screamed, his hands grabbing the hand that the gemstone was in. Stephen felt it shatter in his hand, a fleeting image of blonde hair and dark blue eyes, then darkness.

Stephen didn't go back to sleep that night, his hand sore for some reason. He stayed like that all night, staring endlessly at the ceiling.

__

Free me!!

~ **Shiba Park ~**

**- Next Afternoon -**

"Why are we using the park again, Gary? Can't we just use the arcade for our sessions again?" Stephen asked curiously.

Gary shrugged. "We can't for a while….the back room became Akki's personal wedding planner station. No….eh, heh, guys allowed." He huffed in his soft voice.

"You sound like you don't like her for that silly reason and others you're hiding. I thought she was nice…." Stephen replied. 'All but the fact she's harboring a Dark Universe creep kind of bugs me, but we took care of that weeks ago. Gary is acting jealous of all the attention Akki's getting from Allan…weird.' He added mentally.

Gary shrugged. "I like her and all, she's….ah well….I don't know why I get this weird feeling about her. My stomach hurts when I get near her sometimes….it's a silly feeling, like she'll turn into a monster or something suddenly. I know she's nice and all, its just a funny feeling. I know she'll make my brother very happy….ah then…." Gary was saying then trailed off.

Stephen eyed him as they cleared the cherry trees of the park, in the area where the pigeons were fed. He could see Gary's apartment building from where they stood. Tall and shimmering in the evening sun, the sparse spray of balconies in his eyes. He smiled. Someday, he'd get a nice place like that, have his own space like Gary did. Yet still, Gary was hiding something again. Gary still wouldn't tell him if he told that girl he liked that he wanted to date her. He'd simply blush and change the subject, any excuse to not discuss it. Stephen often wondered if the courting had gone bad, but Gary wasn't depressed or anything, just nervous and evasive, as always with romance chats.

"Then what? What's got in such a mood when I even mention Akki's name?" Stephen asked. Gary sighed, looking down a bit with his gloved hands in his pockets. 

"Allan's leaving for England permanently after the wedding. While he was away, he was with her and they decided Allan should work with her father, business and all, stuff Allan's been working hard for since he graduated. The arcade's going to be sold to new management, before the wedding….Allan's leaving after he gets married." Gary let out harshly, rubbing his nose a bit.

"He's…..leaving Japan completely….for real? We'll never see him…again?" Stephen asked quietly.

"We'll see him on holiday's, maybe, if they're not too busy, or me and our folks visit him ourselves, but….no….Allan's not coming back after that." Gary sighed, depressed a bit. Stephen gripped his friend's left hand inside the pocket, giving off a reassuring smile. Gary looked up, a bit startled and flushed. "Well….you're not going anywhere are you?" Stephen asked, tugging his friend's out, feeling awkward.

Gary smiled a bit. "No….I'll probably live in Japan for the rest of my life….no matter where I go for college. I'm not leaving my home ever." Gary said softly, sounding shy about it.

Stephen nodded. "Me neither….we'll still get to hang out with each other, Gary….nothing will change that, ok?" Stephen told him, getting a squeeze back from Gary's hand. Stephen let go with a smile. "Ok." Gary replied, walking on with small smile," So a session tomorrow too. Its Saturday and all, but…if you want to…."

Stephen shook his head. "No, not tomorrow, the maniac wants us all to see some stupid birdie show tomorrow downtown. She says its….a couple thing. The nutcase doesn't know the meaning of the words 'I don't love you' very well." Stephen sighed.

"I hear that, she's driving us both crazy with unwanted advances. Hope it's a decent show, but you don't seem like the type for a silly animal show." Gary commented.

Gary was right, but Stephen couldn't tell him the real reason for the venture. Cyrus had senses crystal near that show, so it was probably the father or the daughter than ran the silly escapade. It was a way to beat back the Dark Universe, so long as he made sure no innocent lives were put at risk by that basket case Kitty.

"No, but after twenty annoying rings on my so-called private phone line from that whacko, I'll stomach it so she'll lay off." Stephen replied dryly.

Gary just chuckled. "Fine, meathead, then Sunday, so your dad thinks you need to study for that math test on Monday." Gary replied softly.

Stephen followed, patting his friend on the back. "So no more sulking….let's try and be positive about our futures….we have our whole lives ahead of us."

"You had your whole lives ahead of you, boys….!" A childishly familiar voice cackled. 'Kitty?! Here?! Ah shit!' Stephen thought, freezing in his steps, Gary going a few steps back before stopping.

The giggling was all around them, the park area where they were out of sight of the streets thanks to the trees, and with the curfew over the disappearing citizens, not many people dared be out when the sun was setting. Then Kitty appeared in a growled of white tiger fangs, her childish body dressed all in white and furs as usual. She looked particularly smug right now, eyeing Stephen like a hungry beast.

He stayed where he was. 'Shit, can't transform in front of her and Gary….I'll blow all our hard work against the Dark Universe!' he thought wildly, then screwed up his face when Kitty blew him a kiss. 

"What do you want, lady?" he asked, trying to sound nervous and scared. Kitty cackled, and his ears nearly bled. "Oh cut the act….Stephen Tsukikage….It's time to get what Kitty wants out of you, right here and now!" she grinned, and Stephen paled a bit. 'She knows my name? Do I have a crystal inside me….oh gods….no, anything but that….or….gods, is it Gary?!' he thought frantically, too much to even notice Kitty had charged up her ghastly claw.

"Now play dead!!" she screamed, tossing the energy ball right at his chest.

"NOOO!" Gary screeched, and threw himself in front of Stephen. The white-haired youth's thoughts were jarred as Gary's back rammed into his front hard, sending them flying into bushes. 

"G-Gary! GARY!!!! Oh…oh no!" Stephen yelped, his senses showing him as they cleared that Gary was on top of him, his stomach blasted with the energy. He could see a lot of char and blood. Hell, he could smell it. Stephen quickly scrambled out from under Gary's prone form and listened to his heart, then took his pulse. He sighed in relief when he found they were still going, slowly, but still there. Gary's head was leaking a little blood, only a little. It hadn't been from the blast. As Stephen lifted his friend's head gently up, he saw Gary's head at hit a tough and exposed root. It was a good-sized lump, with s tender cut in it. 

He had to get Gary out of here and to safety, before Kitty got Stephen with a blast too. 'Gary….why….why did you take the hit for me? Gary….please be ok, just hold on.' he thought, almost ready to cry. Gary was out cold from the blast, his face stuck in a painful wince. As some blood dribbled onto the ground, Stephen grew angry and sad at the same time.

"Oops, Kitty missed the Moon Knight. Dopey me….come on out, Stephen, my little sneaky Moon Knight. Kitty wants to play with your brains." Kitty cackled, making Stephen's blood freeze. 'She knows who I am….that's….why she's here. She's going to kill us. No, I won't let Gary die….I won't be pushed around by some flat-chested psycho cat-girl idiot!!' his mind raged as he grabbed up his pendant.

~

Kitty bounced around like a hopscotch-playing schoolgirl, sniffing at the blood sprinkles that led to the pink blossom trees and rose bushes. That stupid dark-haired beauty boy had gotten in the way of her fun. Moon Knight would have been in her claws right now if the stupid Moon boy had been alone for once, but he was always with that dark-haired jerk. It was nice to see she'd hurt someone close to Moon boy, but she'd be back home and draining Moon Knight and getting praised by their leader for capturing the leader of the Galaxy Knights. 

'But no, other pretty boy gets in Kitty's way and Moon Knight still conscious. Probably ran away, little coward. Now Kitty has to eat sister and parent meat sacks to make Moon boy give up….' She thought with a pout.

"**_Celestial Beam!_** _Blast her ass!_" Moon Knight voice shout. She looked up in time to see the beam coming at her, but not in time to moon. It rammed into her chest and sent her spinning backward, her green blood leaking out in a spurt. She screeched and levitated off the ground quickly as Moon Knight's form reached her vision, his blade raised to kill her.

Kitty, above all, hated being attacked herself. Now she was bleeding and in pain, a crazed and enraged knight several feet below her and charging up another attack. Kitty just grabs her face and wailed. "No fair! I'll get you next time, you big fat pretty cheater!" she said and vanished before the next Celestial Beam could reach her.

~

Moon Knight just de-transformed when Kitty ran scared and ran back for Gary. He did it as carefully as possibly before running for Gary's building in a frightened sprint. Gary's heart rate was still good, but he still had that bump on his head. It didn't look fatal, any of it, but he had to get the wounds cleaned. Gary's bathroom had tons of ointments and bandages. It'd be the best place to go before calling a doctor.

Stephen just ran, glad curfew kept people off the streets, or more people would have been staring at him and delaying his progress to help Gary. He hated idiots that asked stupid questions like," Is he all right?" and "What's the problem?" Like it wasn't that damn obvious what was wrong. His friend was hurt and the more time morons like that bothered him, the closer Gary might stand to get an infection.

**_~ Daiichi Heights ~_**

- Top Floor, Apt. 717 -

Stephen was glad the doorman wasn't around for once, probably taking a leak or out back taking a cigarette break, as he was prone to doing. It was better than hiding Gary in the alley and smashing a vase on the doorman's head from behind. This was safer for them all. Stephen quickly got out of the elevator, Gary still secure in his arms and the apartment keys in Stephen's teeth. The bleeding had stopped on the way, so it was easy enough to smear into the sooty remnant of the energy ball.

He was worried the entire time about the people that came on to the elevator and saw Gary like that, but Stephen lied his ass off to each of them saying that Gary was drunk and puked on himself. The people just turned their nose up at Gary and said he was always a strange person. Some pitied and one lady was audacious enough to spit at them. That had really annoyed Stephen close to the point of striking the woman for it, but he'd drop Gary and make the lump worse.

They'd gotten through it and Stephen crouched on the floor while he unlocked the door, his legs supporting Gary's light body instead of his arm. It unlocked as the elevator dinged again, forcing Stephen to throw the keys in and scramble inside in a crab-walk. Flopping down on his rear, Gary secure in his lap, Stephen kicked the door shut. He'd lock it later, right now he had to get Gary's shirt and jacket off and tend to the wounds.

He set his friend down gently, turning Gary's head slowly to the side. He didn't need to aggravate the lump. Stephen acted quickly in raiding Gary's bathroom cabinets of for all the ointments, rubs, bandages and cleaning solutions he could gets both arms to lug in. he dumped it all next to Gary, then swiped a throw pillow off the clothing littered couch. 

Stephen wasn't concerned with what a pigsty the place was. His bedroom wasn't any better when Stephen got busy. He'd clean the apartment up for his friend after he did what he could and called a doctor, if needed. He hoped a doctor wasn't needed. It probably couldn't be that bad. It was the bump on the head that knocked Gary out really, not the blast. He set the pillow carefully under Gary's head, still keeping the head turned a bit so the wound could breath. It looked a little smaller than before, the cut well clotted. Maybe no doctor was needed.

Stephen shrugged and tugged off Gary's maroon jacket. The jacket was genuine trash now, having a good sized char hole it. He sniffed a bit and tossed it to the side, brushing gently at the torn black shirt beneath. He felt something gauze under it, like bandages. His icy blues scanned the stomach a bit as he dusted some more torn shirt away. They were bandaged. Torn up pretty bad, but not bloody in most place. Most of it was dried fresh. 

'Well….I guess maybe he had an injury before this…it has to come off anyway. I can't have it smoldered to his skin….he'll kill my ass.' He thought and fingered around the items for a pair of scissors. He found a small pair, just right for cutting fresh bandages. He'd redress whatever wounds his friend had. Gary would understand really. He unbuttoned the shirt a bit more, just beneath the chest, before pushing it up a bit, so he could see Gary's sides. He had a slim form, the bandages going all the way up past the chest area. 

Stephen shrugged. 'Maybe burns….or something…..Hope its not recent." He thought and snipped up the sides or the old dressings. When he reached the chest, the scissors met with something flexible, rubbery and tough. He shrugged and went to the other side, only to meet with the same interference. He grumbled. "Ah that's it….just yanking this stuff off." He said bitterly, tossing the scissors aside, am looped his fingers on the bandages and rubbery stuff, closed his eyes then pulled as hard as he could.

The bandages tore in that single hard yank, the rubber strap coming with it. Stephen opened his eyes with a smile, happy he'd gotten it all off. Then his eyes bulged. 

Stephen sprang back with the strap and flutter bandages, staring at his friend's chest, babbling and stuttering after a while. His words finally came to him as he tried to look away, to look at anything except the chest, but his surprise was too great to even wrench his icy eyes away. "Where do you get off having tits!?!" he screamed, just staring at the bra-enveloped chest on 'Gary.'

'A woman…he's a she? A woman!….SHIT, stop looking you pervert! Stop, close your eyes….!' His mind screamed, and couldn't obey. The things in his hand seemed to gain a lot of wait, enough to make him look at them, then screech as he tossed them away. All this time, the year or so he'd thought he'd know his best friend, and he was a girl, no a young woman with a very well endowed….

"Stop it….argh….Gary how…I mean, whoever you are, how could you lie like this!? Why are you a woman….ah….!" he sputtered, his eyes managing to jerk to 'Gary's' very bruised and slim stomach. He crawled back to her body, looking at the stomach as best he could, but he could still see the bottom of that lacy black bra. He didn't understand why she'd hide such a thing, whoever she was. If she was even adopted by Allan's parents….Stephen was terribly confused, and worried. Why would she go to such lengths to hide her….her….

"Beauty…." He let out softly, then shook his head of those thoughts and kept his eyes dead on her stomach as he tended to the scrapes and bruises. Energy balls before had hit him and his friends, and they never did much but knock the wind out of you. He reapplied the bandages to her stomach, trying not to touch her skin so often, feeling utterly guilty if his eyes even accidentally strayed. He bandaged her head too, even though he could no longer find the lump, only flecks of dried blood.

He was a bit curious though, and gave her groin a pat, feeling a way too soft lump. "That's not….a guy part…." He said, and took a deep breath and he undid her belt and pants, tugging out a wad of socks. "Nice…trick. Ah, what am I doing…."he screeched, slapping himself. 

He just shook off any urges he felt right now. He was still very worried, but still stunned at what he'd found out. He was even more worried how this woman would take it. She worked hard to be thought of as a guy only, to never be known as a woman, she had done it for a reason. He hoped she didn't hate him for stumbling upon it. He had just been worried for 'Gary's' safety. How the hell was he to know Gary was a woman?!

Stephen tugged off the sunglasses and sucked his breath in, curiosity getting the better of him in a well-mannered way. She was beautiful, the face of an angel. He lifted her body back in his arms, carrying her to the forbidden room, her bedroom. It was unlocked thankfully. 'Gary' only locked the no-no rooms when he got in, but right now, 'Gary' wasn't doing much of anything but sleep.

He tilted her head over a bit and saw she had a very long braid hanging from the back of her hair. "Long hair….," Stephen sighed, setting her down as he tugged her shoes and pants off," bet its real pretty when its free, huh G?" He watched the ceiling the whole time. Stephen would not ogle at his best friend's body, male or female. The jacket and shirt must have hid her true length, the hair people could see spiked about purposely with too much mousse. 

Stephen tugged off her socks and shirt last, then dumped the shirt in the trash after making sure nothing important was in it. He walked to her closet and picked through, finding a nightgown, one with long sleeves and dark fabric. He clumsily put it on her, jumping away and reddening each time his finger met with her skin. He was terribly uncomfortable with dressing a woman, a highly attractive woman, but woman or not, she was still his best friend. 

It was guilt of betraying their friendship, in any small way. He'd never had any female friends, till Angela, and she was a terrible example of the female population. 'Gary' was a woman, and his friend. He didn't mind the woman part, but he worried for her, and why she had to disguise herself as well as her gender so extremely. Deep down, he felt something was terribly wrong, but he'd find out when she woke up. He couldn't leave her like this all alone. He'd stay the night on the couch, after he cleaned her messy apartment. 

He looked at her one last time before pulling the covers over her body, a small timid smile on his face. He felt odd around her now, like he knew her from somewhere a long time ago, but he just couldn't place it. He shook off the feeling a bit and started to pick the clothes up off her floor, turning red off and on when he grabbed up her unmentionables.

'Going to be a long night….' He thought, picking the floor and dresser clean of dirty clothes before leaving to take care of the rest of the place and call his house.

**_~ Dark Universe ~_**

- Throne Room -

"Where have you bee, Princess Kittiana?" Xeno asked tersely, his silvery armor glittering softly. He was on the roof a building opposite a street act, Dido the Wonder Parrot. The rather bright red macaw wasn't special on the outside really, just a buried that mimicked speech superbly. His owner concerned him, she was the keeper of the Indigo Crystal of Wind. She was never without the bright looking bird, and the crystal reacted to her presence heavily. The only thing keeping him from getting it was his charge's extreme tardiness. Kitty just gave a childish grin. "Target practice….got a little sidetracked….uh, Kitty was trying to find out who the Galaxy Knights are." She replied with giggles.

He frowned a bit, finding nothing cheerful about anything without his Raven. "And did you?" he asked with a sigh

"Nope, just wild knight chases….Kitty's dark knights are still recovering. Kitty has got a new plan the next fight." she replied with a wicked smile.

"Being?" he sighed out in a bored tone, putting his gaze back on the father-daughter show with the bird. Dido was quoting Shakespeare now. 'Hmmph….annoying entertainment. You won't be clapping for anything but the Dark Universe once we get through with this planet for banishing us away.' He thought. 

"You'll see, so who's next on the crystal collection?" she asked, getting the crystal tossed to her. "That girl….try and do it by tomorrow night. I am tired of you failing. You're making Specter angry at both of us….make no mistake, no one will mourn your death but you." He let out haughtily, then vanished in flashes of silver swords. Kitty just shrugged and watched the stupid show, wanting to eat the damn bird after a while.

'Who said Kitty was going to die before you, dear Xeno. Kitty has plans for you too. Kitty does, hee, hee, hee.' She thought darkly, a feral grin sprouting across her lips.

**_~ Dream/Nightmare ~_**

She stood at the bottom of the steps in he black, showy dress, staring up through the silvery mists about the palace steps and pillars. The mists were cool around her body, her blue eyes staring up at the stationary silhouette standing atop the great stairway. Behind him was a dark sky of endless stars, silvers and whites galore in the pitch sky. She caught her breath as he reached out to her, a small smile appearing on his shadowy features. 

She reached out as well, half-afraid and half excited. The dream had been changing lately, possibly because of the crystals she'd gained. Still, he was always be in her dreams, calling out to her for her help, but never would she see his face, only that beautiful male voice that made her heart warm and skip beats. 

"_Lady Glamour_…._You must gain the Soul Crystal_…._only then can we be free. Please, free me_…." He pleaded softly, still reaching out with his slender hands. "I know….but why can't be together! Please! Tell me where you are!" she shouted, near tears. The moon symbol on his forehead glowed golden to her.

"_In time_…._we are closer than ever now. Soon, we will be together outside of our dreams. The Soul Crystal is within your reach_ _and_ _only you and I can unlock it_…._together. Free me_…._my love_." He said softly, backing off slowly as he lower his head and arms, vanishing into the night.

__

"No! Wait, please! Tell me where you are!!" she screamed, running up the stairs as fast as she could after him, but then the dream changed, and she found herself running as fast as her legs could carry her through a dark cavern. She looked back tearfully, knowing the nightmares were here now, and saw those terribly lavender eyes chasing her. The walls bled about her, trying to make her trip, but she kept running. 

Her legs would ache, the blood on the floor lapping at them warm and wet. She wanted to cry as she saw the throne of black, but it was different. There was someone in it, in white. She skidded to a halt quickly, her eyes quivering with horror. It was Moon Knight, impaled on a sword like a tragic prince. She felt the tears slip, to see his innocent form ruined by death. The body rotted away, his eyes falling out with sick slaps against the floor. His head fell off with a snap, then the body and armor simply feel apart and shattered like virgin glass upon on the floor.

The violent shove from behind came suddenly as her heart broke. The fear kicked in as she recalled how the nightmare went, her dress flipped up, and the man with those terribly lavender eyes raped her from behind. All she could do….was scream as he violated her body, his devilish voice whispering," He can't have you….ever! We will birth the ultimate being….whether you like it or not."

**__**

~ Morning ~

The young woman sat up violently in her bed with a yelp, clutching her heart tightly. She let out a shaky breath, holding back pained tears. It was horrible to see that, Moon Knight slaughtered like a ripe pig, the rape happening again. She hated that nightmare, those horrid lavender eyes, that terrifying voice. The voice of her future rapist….it haunted her so.

She started to catch her breath when she smelled something. He dark head lifted a bit and sniffed. It smelled like bacon and eggs, possibly some toast or muffins. 'Allan? Did he bring me home? What happened….yesterday?' She wondered touching her head gently. There was a bandage on it. The memories of yesterday were just not coming to her, so she tugged it off and felt her head a little. She felt no injury, as usual. She healed fast ever since she was a child, as far back into her childhood she could recall. 

She looked herself over and frowned at the silly nightgown Allan had given her last year. It was so fluffy and sweaty, but it had been an attempt to make her stop dressing up as Gary. He'd never understand why she did it, she couldn't dare tell him why. He'd have her committed for thinking her dreams would come true that badly. Allan was sweet and all, but he could be overprotective of her, and a bit demanding. She slid out of bed, a little woozy. The breakfast smelled great, she just wished her head would clear. What had she been doing yesterday, and why was she bandaged up?

She shook it off, thinking hard as she wandered out of her cleaned and now neatly arranged bedroom to the even cleaner living room area. She barely noticed it, the smell far too inviting. Her nose led her to her kitchen, the swinging door she'd put in herself blocking her view of the food. Allan probably took her home or something, maybe she was avoiding that nutcase Angela again and rammed into something. 'Getting as bad as Stephen….smells so good.' She thought with a small smile. 

She pushed the door open gently with that same smile, expecting her brother to be in there. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she saw that it wasn't Allan, it was Stephen, dressed in one of his light blue shirts and dark, tight fitting jeans. The memories came back to her as she stared at his slender back, the woman in white, the energy ball aimed for Stephen….and the rest just drowned her in the realization that now, her secret was out. Stephen knew Gary was a female. 

She made a little yelp in her throat, not loud enough to be heard as she stared at him. His white hair, downy soft to the eyes, looked clean. He still had his black sneakers on and that odd wristwatch of his. He was cooking some bacon on her stove. She started backing off, but banged into the wall beside the door instead. Stephen stopped staring at the frying meat and turned curiously. 

She felt like dying when he looked at her, those haunting icy blue eyes taking her in with embarrassment. He didn't even seem to notice that the frying pan went with him, still in his hand and frying in midair for the moment. His other arm was over the flame.

She ran when he yelped in pain, the pan slamming on the stove hard. She just had to lock herself in her room. She didn't want to be seen, to face what he had to say about her deception. He had trusted 'Gary' so much, now he knew 'Gary' was nothing more than a frightened woman. "No wait!" he cried out, bursting out of the kitchen as she reached the couch.

He startled her badly, so much in fact that she tripped on her own feet and hit the couch front first. She tried getting up, but he was faster than she figured and held her down. "No, get off of me! Help!"

He let go then. She blinked a bit, turning her head back to him and felt poorly. He looked hurt, crouching now. He looked like damned hurt puppy. "I wasn't going to do anything to you….I just didn't want you to run from me….," he said, offering that soft smile of his," I'd never hurt you, you're my best friend….whoever you are."

She nodded a bit at him, sitting herself up, then grabbed her stomach. His hands were on her in seconds, checking her. He was shocking her heavily, not even asking questions or leaving her be. He was concerned for her health. She felt better as he pressed his fingers on her stomach, his fingers feeling there almost making her feel like blushing. She pushed it back heavily and let him check. It was making her feel a lot better, to be cared for and not scolded like crazy.

"You shouldn't move a whole lot….not for a while you know. You took a bad hit to the front yesterday. Does it hurt now?" he asked quietly.

"N-no….not now….you just….scared me."

"I scared you?….I think I win in the scare and shock department right now. All I was trying to do was make sure you weren't too badly hurt and I see…ahem….well….you know. I swear, I didn't….I didn't know…of course I didn't know you were a woman, but….honestly. I tried not to touch anything…while I bandaged you up. Well, except that,…ahem….sock, I was….curious. Sorry, making an ass out of myself here, aren't I?"

"Not yet," she said lightly," You have a right to be angry with me. Allan still is, but he wouldn't understand why I created Gary. I had to beg him not to tell his parents….I was so ashamed for lying to you all, but I had to….uck, no one would understand why….but I understand you do have a right to be shocked. I'm…sorry, Stephen."

He smiled a little, patting her knee. "I'm not angry at you, just shocked. By best friend who I thought was a guy is a woman….a…pretty one…too. Um….forget I said that, I'm kind'a nervous about all this….I apologize too, if…well….for finding out without your permission," he replied, then eyed her timidly," What's you name, miss?"

She smiled back softly, her cheeks pinking. "Gaia….Zokujin, by birth, then Allan's family adopted me."

"Gaia….that's a lovely name. Ah….well…you know I have to ask, and I'm sorry if it bothers you. I'd be bothered if some kid was nosing in my business too, but….why did you dress up like a guy?"

She felt the shame again and turned away a bit. She trusted Stephen, more than he knew, but could she tell him all that, her dreams, her nightmares, her fear? Would he call her insane and stupid….or would he, as she deeply hoped, sympathize, console her as she so dearly needed. She'd kept this all inside, all by her self, for nearly two years.

"Gaia….its ok. Your secret is safe with me….I won't tell a single soul. We're best friends, why would I betray you?" he said plainly, chuckling a bit. She had to smile back at him. He was so easy going sometimes. She envied him in a way, wishing she had a life like his, no bad dreams or fears. Just….innocence. 

Then he did something that stunned her. He got on his knees a bit and hugged her close, patting the back of her neck. "Its ok….you can tell me. You know me, the meathead who walks into fights, the guy who hit in garbage bins and alleys to avoid Angela." He said softly, her mind slowly curling into an eased state.

She nodded a bit, staying on the couch. He stood up and held his slim hand out to her. "But over breakfast….you need to eat a good breakfast to help your body heal. And I think. -blush- I just burned the bacon."

Gaia chuckled at that and nodded, standing up as her hand slid easily into his cool fingers, following him to breakfast.

__

~

"You didn't have to clean my apartment up. You really didn't." she commented as she nibbled her toast. He shrugged, taking in a forkful of eggs. 

"I didn't want either of us to trip into a pile of clothes or the coffee table. That and well, sometimes I can't stand a messy room. Mine's a sty sometimes, so I can relate to never having any time to clean up," he commented, nibbling on what bacon he hadn't burnt," If you, like,….had a day all to yourself, I wouldn't want you to have to spend it cleaning the place up. And I'll pay you back for all the stuff I used on your wounds. I kind dropped a few in the bathroom and made a bigger mess. Its clean now, but….well, you probably need most of it."

"Yeah….it's kind of you to offer. Paying for the apartment takes up most of my cash….bills too. Thank you, Stephen," She replied, wiping her mouth," But I guess that's not the only issue here. You want to know why I created Gary."

He nodded a bit, swallowing the last of his bite before wiping his fingers and lips off. "Yeah. I'm not that judgmental about people….but….I don't think it's a sexual thing. I dunno why I feel this way, but, I think you do it….cause you're afraid of something. Just a hunch….but I was worried about you last night."

Gaia pinked a bit, but forced it down. 'He was worried for me? Why….Oh Stephen." She thought, then nodded for him. "You're sharp, meathead. Yeah….I am scared of something, but its….not actually happened, yet."

"Meathead again….huh, hasn't happened yet? What do you mean, Gaia?" he asked, leaning his face in his hands, his elbows propped on the table as he watched her curiously.

Gaia swallowed a bit, trying not to shed tears. She'd never told a single soul about those terrible rape dreams, but he was here and probably wouldn't stop asking until he knew. The concern in his eyes moved her, but still, it was a terrible thing to remember, let alone describe. "I….just….it started two years ago, when I started going to Matzo Ako Senior High School, my college. I was living here too at the time. College was going fine for the first few months, then I started to have these dreams. They were….innocent at first. I thought it was a romantic dream after it came to me a few nights. Then….it changed."

"What was it like before?" he asked quietly, watching intently. She swallowed a bit, rubbing her arms a bit nervously. "It was mystical….I'd see a prince enveloped in mists, calling out to me, then he'd be gone. We'd never touch, he'd just call out my name, begging me to find him. After a few months, he was talked like he was trapped in a daze, then he'd back away into utter blackness. I'd run for him, and the dream would become a horrible nightmare." She said softly, her blue eyes shaking.

"Go on…." He told her, gripping her hand warmly. She looked at it, ease sinking into her skin. "I find myself running in this long dark hallway, or maybe a cavern. The walls bleed as I run, trying to make me slip and fall while this man with lavender eyes chases me through them. The blood feels so warm on my legs, like its trying to crawl up them and taste me….until I reach this dark throne room, endless black. When the nightmares started, there was always a silver light that would appear over the throne, this white-gloved hand sticking out of it. I get all happy and run to it….I reach for the hand as I leap up on the throne. Our fingers meet….and….and…." she explained, then trailed off as she started to shake and tear fled from her blue eyes.

Stephen watched her, looking sad for her, concerned still. "Gaia….what…." he started, but the dream repeated in her head, the violent shove, her dress being flipped up and the manhood of the lavender eyed man sliding wetly inside her backside, the vile feel of the rape. It was so much she finally burst out crying and screaming. "And the man catches me….he catches me….and HE RAPES ME!" she wailed.

She tore her hand from him bawling her eyes out in her slender hands, the horrible nightmare repeating over and over the same horrible violation of her mind. All she could think about was how real it felt, how scared she would always feel when she'd wake up, two years of these terribly dreams and she had no one to turn to. 

She went on crying, until she felt warm arms wrap around her, a soft feel of hair on her cheek nuzzling. Stephen was holding her like she was a frightened child, like he believed her. His chair had clinked next to her, leaving him sitting right beside her, holding her so warm and caring. 

Her heart nearly wept as he shushed her, stroking her hair to calm her down. It felt pleasant. Stephen never touched Gary this way, even when she had been crying for her fallen friends during the suicides. Never this closes, this warm, this intimate. He smelled so sweet, like a morning breeze and honeysuckle. She felt….safe.

"You don't have to tell me the changes….I heard enough. It must have been horrible to keep to yourself." He told her, hugging her close still. She nodded, crying on his shoulder a little less hysterically. She slowly held onto his waist, feeling secure like this. It felt good to know he felt for her pain, that he believed her.

"I'm so sorry Gaia….you could have told somebody. You could have told me. What about Allan?" he asked, looking at her, yet still close. She shook her tearful face. 

"Allan was angry when I dressed up as Gary….he didn't even let me tell him why, and I didn't want to after his reaction. He thought I was doing it for sexual reasons immediately….and he was so angry with me. I decided he wouldn't understand my dreams. He'd of had me committed for 'my own safety.' Allan's a sweet big brother….but he….he's so overprotective and overbearing. I was too ashamed at what I had to do to prevent that man from finding me….but I didn't want that horrible dream to come true, so I made Gary to protect myself."

Stephen nodded, and grabbed a napkin off the table with one deft hand, then wiped her tears away. "Its ok….I'll help out," he said with a gentle smile," I won't tell anybody about it. I believe you, Gaia, no dream just keeps going on for two years….not like that. I feel it….that you had a right to be afraid. Now I know….and I can help you. You don't have to be all alone in this, Gaia, you can always trust me. I'm still stunned at what lengths you went to protect yourself, but now I at least understand why. It's the right thing to do, you know." He told her, those icy blue eyes of his capturing her blues for a moment.

He seemed to notice that, frozen in her gaze. He was so beautiful. He had always been so beautiful to her, but she could never act on it lest blow her cover. But it was blown now, and he was here, holding her, protecting her, offering comfort. She knew she could protect herself, she's gotten a black belt in jujitsu when she was a child, she was great in her gymnastics class, and there was still her disguise.

But somehow, those eyes, they wanted to give so much, and she felt she did too. She had no explanation for it and doubted he understood why he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. She felt like she knew those eyes from day one, but could never quite place them in her memories. Or now, just being trapped together in their eyes, their souls frozen in the stare, was hauntingly frightening, and even a bit inviting.

He leaned his head down a bit, still locked with her eyes. She felt herself move too, her lips parting gently as their eyes lidded, and shut with the kiss that she considered with great hope to be breathtaking. Their chairs didn't agree, as no sooner did she feel his lips slide softly close to hers, his warm breath sliding across her mouth, the back legs on hers broke. She wound up kissing his chin and he her nose as they toppled on the floor in a ridiculous heap.

She felt her body going red as he landed on top of her, his hands pinned under her back. The trance they had been under broke when they hit the floor, the frozen gaze in Stephen's eyes fading. His cheeks were going beet red as he realized what was happening. "I….oh gods…I'm…..I'm so sorry….Oh gods, Gaia…I…." He stammered, tugging his hands for freedom. She was as stunned as he was with their behavior, lifting her back bit and a avoiding his eyes as he pulled his hands free. He got up quickly, rubbing his nose. 

Then he helped her up, still red. "I don't know what came over me…I….I didn't mean to….I dunno what I was doing. I just….I…." he went on, but at least he was talking. She was too embarrassed to say anything right now. She felt like he did, confused, lost, and utterly embarrassed with her behavior. They'd nearly kissed each other, best friends for so long, and they nearly started kissing in her kitchen. 'And what's worse, I wanted him to kiss me….gods….why is it so hard to tell him?' she thought painfully.

He shook his head a bit, and patted her hand. "I….I'm sorry if I insulted or embarrassed you, Gaia. I don't know what came over me. I…I should go now….yeah," he was saying," I only told my parents I was staying the night….and that show thing today. I should go….before….ah….I do something that will ruin our friendship, that will make you hate me."

She nodded a bit, dazed from the warm feelings. "Yes, we're just in shock, and upset….its perfectly all right. It was just….an awkward moment, yeah." She lied, mentally kicking herself for chickening out. He was still quite red, but managed not to trip as he backed out of the kitchen. She followed in suit, walking normally as he finally turned about and opened her front door.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then….as usual. Uh….here?" he gulped, looking a bit shy suddenly. She nodded. "As Gary though…until my nightmares stop….Gary exists, not Gaia." She said softly. He nodded and walked out quietly. She watched him go, waving to him as the elevator dinged and opened. He gave a wave back, a timid smile on his lips, then he stepped in and was gone. Gaia simply shut her door, locking it tight, then slip down as tears filled her eyes. "I can never be me till then, that's why it hurts so much….because," she sobbed," I've been in love with you since we met."

She stayed on the floor, crying alone as she pounding the floor with her fists and cursed her terrible dreams. She begged silently for her prince to forgive her for straying, but she couldn't help her heart. She was madly in love with Stephen Tsukikage.

__

**~ Elevator ~**

Stephen hit the elevator walls with his fists, struggling not to cry out in frustration. "How could I do that to her….I nearly kissed my best friend, gods, I wanted it. I wanted to kiss her. Oh gods, what have I done?! Glamour, forgive me," he begged to the air, looking up with shivering icy blues," I can't be in love with two women, I can't, gods….but….I am. Oh Gaia….I'm so sorry. What have I done?" 

He got no answer and just huddled himself in the corner, his hart torn between the women he now held dear in his heart, one his comrade and the other….his best friend. He felt like dirt, his heart throbbing with love and sadness for them both.

**__**

- Afternoon -

Angela, Lamont and Ray managed to drag a quite depressed Stephen out of the arcade. Allan had watched Stephen play one video game for five hours, the young man losing in level one each time because he wouldn't move the stick in Space Pirates. Stephen dumped over 100 dollars in quarters in it when he walked in pouting. Without so much as a word, he got coins from the token machine and started playing the game right next to it badly. Allan had tried to pull him away and even ask him what had him so down, but Stephen simply ignored him and played poorly in a sad daze. 

He wasn't any better right now, staring blandly as the red macaw quoted lines from old horror movies in the actual actors voices. Angela thought even that would surprise Stephen out of his pill of a mood, but it didn't. He just stared blankly at the bird with Cyrus looking up at the boy in concern. Cyrus informed them that he stayed the night at Gary's, according to listening in on his parents' conversation with him, but he got no more out of him than the others did. Stephen just seemed very lost. He wasn't even shrugging her off. For that matter, it was like nothing existed, like he was in a world of eternal sadness all by himself.

It worried her that his mood was so terrible. It wasn't like after mark and those people had been murdered, this was a total shutdown of emotions. He was like old toast, boring and unchanging.

She looked to the animal show, wondering how they would get the crystal out. There was only one way, a Dark Universe flunky had to appear and take it out, then they'd have to grab it or fight for it. She wished there was another way, but not even Moon's Celestial Beam would do that. All it did was banish evil. The crystals were dormant inside until activated, so they had to wait for little Miss Kitty the idiot to show up.

"And now ladies and gentleman, Dido will hold a conversation with a volunteer. Raise your hands, and you can talk to Dido himself, ask him questions and all you want, free….may we have a volunteer?" the older man with dark black, gray streaked hair. The little girl next to him, with simply shoulder length black hair stood next to him in a nice red outfit, looking quite unhappy. For that matter the bright colored bird look disinterested in the show as well, but did as it was told. The little girl had given Dido most of the commands, not the older man. He'd seemed happier with what the bird's talent brought to them money-wise. The girl looked very unhappy with it.

"Over here, pick him!" Lamont cheered, raising Stephen's limp arm. Stephen seemed to break a moment from whatever he was brooding over and shot Lamont a glare, yanking his arm free, but it was far too late for him. The older man saw it and pointed at him. Stephen grumbled, his mood deteriorating again as many hands pushed him towards the small boxy stage.

The older man looked overly happy, fake of course, and stepped up to Stephen. "And what's you name?"

"Bite me…." Stephen grumbled, not in the mood. Angel started giggling. At least his mood had changed, and the crowd was getting a right good laugh out of it. The elder man maintained his fake smile, grumbling a little himself before stifling it. "Well, ice boy….talk to Dido." The man said and shoved Stephen at the bird.

The little girl was a ways off now, staring painfully at them. She looked so sad now, like Dido was being tortured by being bothered. Stephen even seemed to notice it through his mental funk. The bird had, strangely, perked up a bit at Stephen's presence. Everyone stared as it flew off its perch to nestle on Stephen's shoulder. Stephen eyed it, and it nuzzled his cheek. "Moon boy, hello." It crackled out. Stephen looked a little spooked.

"Let's keep that between us, I'm in public, Dido." He said nervously. 'Odd….how could it associate Stephen with the Moon….unless that little girl's power is telepathy and that's how it talks so good. Gods, I'm brilliant. It's a big scam.' Angela thought proudly smiling in triumph.

"Ok…."the bird said, copying his voice, its bead whitish yellow eyes watching Stephen's deftly.

"Ok, if you're such a good talker, and seem to be a little sneaky bird….prove it. Imitate a voice only I'd know." Stephen challenged.

The bird seemed to think a moment, cocking its cute red and white head to the side. Then it started to speak, only two words," Free me." The voice was one she didn't know, but a man's, a young one. It sounded so cold and strong, but it was making the color drain fully out of Stephen's face.

Stephen was opening his mouth again, whispering something to the bird. She and everyone else leaned in to hear it, but it wasn't loud enough. "Answer is simple….let fate take you where your heart lies. Destiny will come in pleasure and pain….sacrifices will be made to find what you seek, and death will fall between you and the truth. Death is never the end." The bird replied in the same mysterious voice, then nuzzled Stephen's startled cheek again.

Everyone seemed freaked out by its words, even the little girl. The elder man was going back towards them, not looking happy about the show taking a turn for the bizarrely depressing as Stephen plucked the bird off his shoulder, holding it to his chest almost in a protective manner.

Then came the high pitched scream, the little girl was making the sound. All eyes went to it and Angela, Lamont and Ray bolted for an alley when they saw Kitty and her Dark Knights were the source. 

~

The dark knights filtered madly for the crowd, their bodies no longer human under the armor, the damage they'd sustained to great to hide it any longer. The dark knights didn't see the three teens run off, they were only concerned with keeping the humans away from the poor child lying on the ground, Kitty standing over her with a dark prism in her ugly hand.

"Ah, at last Kitty gets what she wants….time to cough up the Crystal of Wind for Kitty, little meat sack." She tittered as her dark knights scared most of the audience away, draining those that weren't fast enough. The father was down as well, draining by Dark Moon. As the screams of the dying ceased, the dark knights surrounded Stephen. He couldn't do much more than hold the frantic bird to his chest, watching each weapon of evil point at his body.

His icy eyes held eventually on the small, unconscious girl. 'She thinks…she has it….but its not her….' He thought. He knew when the bird answered his question about the fate of his mission, calling him Moon boy. His pendant was well hidden. The bird couldn't have known any of that, or to even relate the moon with him or such a bizarre answer. To anyone else, the words were mere fairy tales and hearsay, but to him, the Moon Knight it was a frightening prophecy. 

He couldn't do anything more to protect it but hold onto it tightly, being sure not moving towards any of the weapons until his friends came back. He'd wanted to ask it about his love life. He'd hoped that maybe Dido could shed some light one what the hell was going on with his puzzled heart, but this wasn't the time. The crystal keeper in his arms was second to last left of the Spectrum Crystal keepers. He had to protect it.

Kitty was growling now, not able to get an opening into the girl's soul. She kicked the little girl and yowled. "Why won't she give Kitty what Kitty wants!? Dammit! Kitty wants indigo!! Oooo.…!" she ranted, throwing a child's temper tantrum on the stage. 

As her arms swung about in her rage, the prism glowed when it pointed at Stephen. He wasn't about to tell her that, but her Dark Knights would. "Mistress Kitty….?" Dark Jupiter piped is his horrid voice. Kitty whirled on them, the prism still glowing. 

"WHAT?! KITTY IS UPSET!" she yelled. He simply pointed, cringing as her scream made him reel. She looked at her, eyes lighting up with evil glee and understanding. She pranced around tested it near each of the fallen people until she reached Stephen. She flicked her tongue at him fluidly, making his stomach turn. "Hello, pretty Moon boy…," she grinned," Nice funeral for pretty dark boy?"

"He's very much alive, skank. Back off!" he growled. She pouted, then snapped her fingers. His arms were grabbed in seconds, the dark knights trying to pry his hands free from the bird. The prism she held was glowing brighter and brighter the closer it got to the bird. "Oh, bad Moon Knight, hiding Kitty's prize from her. Bad future pet…." She tutted, wagging her finger at him seconds before she slapped him with her normal hand.

He shook it off, another dark knight grabbing his head up with a fistful of hair. She licked along him mouth, making his face screw up in disgust. 'Why do I attract so many weirdoes on top of mysterious women?' he thought sickly, spitting in Kitty's mouth when she tried to kiss him deeply.

She hacked it up, snatching the bird away. "You'll regret that, Moon Boy….Kitty's going to make you her slave. You can't beat the Dark Universe forever….give it up, pretty boy." She giggled, ramming her hand within the bird's chest and soul. Stephen squirmed hard, resorting to biting the arm closest to his mouth hard. Dark Mars yowled and punched him, but it was enough time for Stephen to swing out at Dark Moon and elbow Dark Mercury behind him. He charged forward with a burst of adrenaline, ramming into Kitty as she yanked the crystal free.

They slammed through the shoddy box stage, splintered wood and nails blowing out around them, the bird's writhing and changing form rolling onto the street. Stephen tried getting off of Kitty, but she yanked him back down with her normal hand, the terrible once clutching the crystal. She was not willing to let either of them go, twisting his arm painfully each time he struggled. Stephen growled at her and head-butt her right in the face. 

She screeched loudly, nearly making his ears bleed, but she let go for a moment. He quickly grabbed up the closest thing to him, a piece of broken wood with a nail at the end, then slammed it across her face. It made a scar rip through her skin, her small eyes widening with horror. She dropped the crystal to grab at her injured face, screaming like a hurt child. "MY FACE!" He snatched the crystal up and scrambled out, expecting to contend with the dark knights.

He smiled a bit, seeing his allies had finally transformed and showed up "Better late than never," He comment dryly, shoving the crystal in his pocket before grabbing out his pendant," Since this is no big secret to you….**_Moon Sword! Transform!_**"

He became Moon Knight in moments, whipping out his blade to join the fray. He didn't care about Kitty now, she was still howling about her stupid face in the hole. The Galaxy Knights were holding their own against their evil twins, Dark Mercury falling easily under Jupiter's power. The stupid creatures seemed to know they were mixing up their abilities to do more damage. The dark knights were trying to do the same thing, so he'd have to help out now.

"They can do it themselves….we've got a bigger problem." Cyrus piped at his feet. He looked down as Mars Knight blew Dark Jupiter apart. He'd sent the dark warrior of lightening apart hail of flame and ash, spilling the dark remains across the ground. "What's that, top cat?" Moon smirked.

Cyrus sniffed wryly and looked above them, to the roof of apartment building. Moon followed his gaze, his eyes widening beneath his mask. Dido had become a dark creature, a mere pet now a murderous Dark Universe fiend, currently holding its owner in its large black beak. He looked more like a muscular griffin man. His feathers were blood red with black tips, armor on his groin, knees, and shoulders. He was gazing down at Moon Knight with those same beady eyes, the same soft, corn silk color.

Moon nodded a bit, and picked the crystal out of his pocket, placing it at Cyrus' paws. The guardian cat looked at him curiously. "Kitty knows my true identity…but she doesn't know theirs. Get those crystals out of my room and hide them. She's been watching me for a while and probably knows where I keep them. Do it now and do it fast, we can't let them have any more of them, understand Cyrus." Moon told the cat.

Cyrus nodded. "Finally acting like a true leader. Take care, Moon Knight." The cat replied, taking the crystal in his mouth before sprinting off. Moon didn't watch him, lest Kitty see it and follow the cat. He simply jogged into the building, running as fast as he could for the elevator.

**__**

~

Moon finally came out onto the roof, the evil Dido still waiting there, now with the girl still out cold by the ledge. He just stared at the birdman, which seemed a bit confused about what had happened, but not very happy either.

Moon Knight took his blade out, moving a few steps closer as slowly as possible. It was a mistake, Dido rushing at him, sick red wings appearing no his back as he zoomed right at Moon. The impact never came, arms dragging Moon out of the way, the doorway to the roof taking the deathblow instead.

He knew who it was, his beloved Glamour, but he still felt guilty about what he nearly did with Gaia. He just got back in stance as she came up beside him, her silver sword drawn and ready. "The crystal?" she asked. He replied softly, still feeling terrible. "Its safe, Kitty didn't get this one…but this is just a bird. Its scared….but we have to hurt him to help him….we can't kill it, even to destroy the dark side inside him. Its as innocent as those people those damned dark knights hurt." He replied

"I know….we'll do it your way….for now." Glamour offered, her voice a bit melancholy. He had no time to question her mood. Dido had righted himself and was zooming back at them. "Jump to your left after you attack, the attack again, anyway you can….**_Celestial Beam!_**"

__

"Whatever, **_Crystal Cutter!_**" she shouted, her blessed shards sailing towards the bird beast with his energy beam. Dido swerved under and over them, the attacks just sailing away into the distance. Moon leapt to the right, slashing his blade out. Glamour did the same, both clipping the creature's arms.

It howled, and slashed it claw across Moon's chest. It broke the surface a bit, pain shooting in his front as his blood leaked forth gently. It hurt like hell, but he kept slashing his sword out and blocking. Dido kicked him in the gut when Moon stuck its chest with nasty gash. Moon toppled over, his chest aching with fresh pain, his bones and skinned bruised badly from the force.

Dido soared up, then dove at him, his claws and great black beak bared at him. "**_Crystal Cutter!!_**" Glamour's voice shouted. Dido had no time to react or even stop. The shards rammed into his exposed front. He went off course and tore his body through the concrete and tar of the room behind Moon Knight. 

Moon got up sorely, clutching his injured chest before approaching the heaving and bloody form.

Dido was injured, really bad, the shards poisoning him with blessed energy. It was enough, enough to reach him out of the darkness Kitty had subjected to him. Moon raised his blade painfully. "**_Celestial_**….ungh…**_Healing_**….**_L-Light!_** Encircle.…_this_ _lost s-soul!_" he cried out, wincing as the beams of light spilled from the blade and into Dido's weakened form. It let out a soft squeak, his form shrinking as the light bathed his body. Then he was a small red macaw again, looking rather stunned and cocking his head left and right. Eventually, he flew to his owner and nuzzled her. 

Moon smiled weakly. He was happy he'd saved them, that Kitty had failed, but he had so much to worry about now. He was in love with two women, sure, but….Kitty knew who he was and where he lived. He couldn't go home without risking lives….not until Kitty was dead. He did wonder how many of the citizen of the Dark Universe she had told his secret to. 

"Moon Knight…." It was Glamour's voice, soft and curious. He turned a bit, trying to keep the smile in place. "Is something wrong? You're usually….more cheerful, more talkative. Are the injuries that bad?" she asked, looking a bit lost off and on. She seemed to be thinking about something on the side of her questions. She seemed troubled, almost as much as he was. 

"It's….my problem. You have enough to worry about always protecting me. You don't need my troubles spilled into your lap….but….thanks for saving my life again. You always seem to be there for me at the right time. Thanks." He offered, wishing he did sound more affectionate and cheerful, but he was too depressed.

"It's my duty to save you. I don't know why, but its what I must do." She said quietly.

"Yeah, well who is going to save you pansies from me!?" Kitty's voice screeched above them. Moon was given no time to react, nor was Glamour, the balls of light that had nearly killed Gaia slamming into the both of them and made their worlds black.

~

Mercury grinned over the fallen remains of their doppelgangers. Their reputations had been saved long before this battle, but now their doubles would never again try and hurt people to try and uselessly tarnish them again. Moon's tactics had worked the last time, and worked yet again. Their doubles were still more stupid animals than humanoids. They didn't use tactics very well or for very long.

Mars and Jupiter stood a ways off, helping the people up that were just now regaining their energy that dark knights had stolen from them earlier. They milled away from the area like drunken teens, no memory of what had happened in their dazed minds. Even the money grubbing father was waking up, calling out for his daughter and moneymaking bird.

Moon was not in sight. He hadn't been since the fight started. The killer birdman thing had flown to the roof of the building, so that was probably where he went, to free the bag of feathers and fleas from evil. It was silly to her, an animal having the soul and body of a Dark Universe warrior reborn inside it. It'd have made more sense for a human to have it, but a damn squawker? It was ridiculous.

"Macey! Dido! Oh you're safe." The father suddenly yelled, the knights' eyes all falling on him as he rushed to the building. The little girl, her bird perched neatly on her shoulder, was stepping out of the doorway, looking a little frightened.

"What's wrong baby? Are you hurt?" he asked.

"No Daddy, but I think the man and the lady are…." She said in a small, cherubic voice. Mercury froze a bit, staring at the child. Jupiter was moving towards them, his hands up as a sign of not being a threat. "Did the man have armor like me?" he asked calmly.

She nodded. "And the lady had a nice black dress on…but….the mean girl in white threw dark balls at them and they fell down. She took them away, I think they're really hurt. They saved Dido and me, you'll save them, right Mister? Miss?" she said pleadingly.

Jupiter nodded a bit, his mouth in a sort of grim frown. "Yeah, we will. Now why don't you people go home. We have to go find our friends…." Jupiter said quietly, turning quickly to hide his paling face. He walked right to Mercury as the family did so, Mars coming along moments later.

They all looked at each other, then the rooftop, frowning deeply. "She kidnapped Glamour and Moon….how the heck are we going to find them?" Jupiter questioned them. Mars was still staring at the rooftop, shaking his head. "Any way we can. Let's get out of here and find Cyrus fast. Who knows how much time they may have."

Mercury nodded. "Probably not a lot. Start running, boys." She said quickly sprinting off, praying they would be in time….before Kitty would get her revenge.

**This is the actual **_Jadeite_** from the **_Sailor Moon_** series. I don't care what the few Jadeite websites say, but I seriously don't think he's dead. He's still in one piece in that crystal stored someplace. Eternal Sleep sounds like death, but I think it's a living death, not actual death. **_Jadeite_** is going to be important towards the end of this series when the characters reach the universe of the Sailor Scouts.

**__**

Teaser: Moon and Glamour at Kitty's merciless torments for ruining her beauty, and the final crystal of the spectrum of power revealed. While the knights fight to find their friends, they gain a new set of allies.


	20. Ch 20 Sacrifice in Beauty

**_Disclaimer: __I do not own anything of the **Sailor Moon** series. This was originally going to be a short introduction chapter for the final Inner Knight, but my fingers got away with me and brought out 30 pages by adding Chad's replacement as well as some thoughts in Moon Knight's head about the "women" he loves and a more involved dialogue between ray and his grandfather about their honor. This is also the calm before the storm for the next few exciting chapters. Romance and tragedy to come! Enjoy and review! REVIEW please!_**

**_Chapter 20_**

**_                                                       Sacrifice in Beauty _**

_                                                **~ Shinden Fenikkusu Doujou~**_

                                                       _(Sacred Phoenix Dojo)_

_      **- One Week Later -**_

            Ray's grandfather just sat on the ledge of his wall, the lovely stone one built about most of the dojo. He and his wife had grounded Ray per Ray's father's request. Ever since Ray started coming home late at night with bruises, his grandparents worried his temper was getting out of control. Even though there were no injuries the next morning, still, it concerned them, so they told his father. 

            Still, Ray found ways out of the dojo, his grandfather had to bet on that. His grandson was smart and tough and wouldn't let a curfew get in his way. He still worried though. Only last week Ray came back, bruised all the same, but crying. He wouldn't say why, but something bad must have happened that night. Ray snuck out a lot more, having to be brought back home by the police. His father wasn't too happy Ray was setting a bad example, though all the cops said Ray was doing was calling out someone's name and searching the city areas he was in. 

They'd had complaints of a few other kids, a boy and a girl, yelling the name "Stephen!" loudly all week. None of them would explain though why. The only Stephen he knew of was the Tsukikage's boy, and there were no missing posters or spots on the evening news about him being missing. Perhaps it was just a silly game, Stephen might have run away from home after a fight with his parents and those kids were present during the fight. Perhaps they were trying to get him home, and his parents weren't overly concerned about Stephen being gone long.

The old man snorted a bit, and puffed his pipe. Stephen's parents were ripe jack asses. They loved their money too much to consider their son was unhappy with their behavior and lifestyle. He doubted sometimes that Stephen was even their son at all. He looked nothing like either of his parents or his baby sister. Maybe he was adopted. It was a thought on some tabloids' minds and his own, but if the parents tried to shove the boy into high society and bring him up like a little snob when he didn't want it, what would be the point? Those two never made much sense, even when they were drunk they made more sense than being sober. He didn't understand how they retained so much money. Their salaries weren't that great.

He sighed a bit, a puzzle he didn't care to solve right now and picked up his cup of sake. He downed it and poured a new cupful of the intoxicating brew. He just needed his time alone from his wife, to drink and smoke for just a while. She was always telling him to quit indulging, nagging his ears off. He wanted to keep drinking and smoking his pipe. He was too old to be told to watch his health. He'd be dead in another decade and planned to live it up. 

Eventually, he'd name Ray as his heir to the dojo. Ray had the potential, but sometimes his grandson was irresponsible with his strength. Ray was just an angry child sometimes, ever since he saw his mother gunned down. He was always trying to push himself too hard and save the world from evil, even if he misunderstood a common bully for a member of the ultimate evil. He wondered how Ray would be after he and Grandmother passed on. He simply hoped Ray would calm down and try and control his temper a bit more.

A rustling sounded in his ears, his balding head turning gradually to it. He sighed, smiling a bit. It was a young woman, a tall one. He had to guess that from how far over she was slouched on the park bench. Her hair was long and brown, a bit like a rock star. She even had the guitar to boot, wooden and basic, not like heavy metal or the confounded pop stars. It was more like country-type guitar. She had a heavy and worn leather jacket on though, and a long patchwork skirt and combat boots. She was mismatched in nearly every way, her bangs hiding her sleeping eyes. He could tell she was sleeping, a few snores leaking out of her tiny nose.

He wondered if she'd simply just passed out there when he heard the noise, just arriving by the dojo from a gig. It was of no consequence. The long-legged looking woman was passed out cold from fatigue at best.

"Keep staring at your wrinkled old sockets like that and they'll spit your eyes up, old meat sack." a giggling and annoying child's voice uttered behind him. 

The old man turned to see a young girl all decked in a white leotard outfit lined with white fluff, like cat's fur. She was mostly all white, except her peachy skin and the rancid claw that flexed and shimmering sickly in the streetlights. Her pinkish eyes were simply eerie and psychotic, like a child gone wrong, terribly wrong. He started to get up, to jump away from her, but then the fact he finally noticed she was floating in mid-air right in front of him made his body go rigid. 

In a matter of moments, he saw her move, ramming her ugly hand into his chest. He felt a tugging, a sense of energy building as she did it, then his mind started to fade. It almost felt inviting.

"Get away from him you bitch!!" Ray-san's voice rang out, the tugging subsiding, but the energy she'd kick-started inside him stayed. He vacantly saw his grandson ram into the girl slamming her into a nearby cherry tree.

                                                            ~

Ray kicked Kitty in the face hard, standing on her claw with the other. Stephen and Glamour had been gone for nearly over a week, all thanks to this Dark Universe brat. Now she was attacking his own flesh and blood. 'Grandfather must hold a crystal, only a fool would not notice it….I have to protect him and find my friends.' He thought, and pulled his fist back and cracked one good punch into her face. She screeched, her claw lifting hard enough to knock him away and slash his leg open.

"Ah, you stupid cat bitch! Where are Stephen and Glamour? Don't make me kill you for it!"

She tittered, floating back up. His blood dripped off each clawed finger like sweat, sliding back to the earth. "Oh, what would that accomplish little boy? You know Stephen's secret too? Ohhhh, you must be….one of them too! Oh, oh, Lord Specter will make Kitty his second on command once Kitty tells him all this. Your energy drained bodies will help it along, oh, Kitty loves surprises, don't you?"

"Damn you….tell me where they are or I have to make you do it, which either way, I'd enjoy after all the misery you've caused, you tacky little meatball!" he yelled, faintly seeing a shadow move behind her. 

"TACKY!! OOOh, you big bully, Kitty is going to eat your temperamental intestines with red wine. DIE!" she hissed and shot for him.

Wham!

            Ray just saw something wooden slam into Kitty's back, bouncing back in a circle with its owner, a young woman in utter mismatched attire, her bangs covering her eyes. Kitty hit the ground out of surprise, not looking any happier either.

"Eek! Wha, who hit Kitty!!??" Kitty muffled from the crown, spitting up a mouthful of dirt. "El Ka-Bong saved us….in a skirt?" Ray muttered, still a bit surprised at the weapon. 

The young woman finally stopped twirling and landed hard on her rump. "Man, that blows….ow…." she said, and looked up, stiffening," Oh whoa, you're a total stud….ahh…"

Ray didn't seem to hear her, more surprised she'd helped him with such a weapon. This was no time to listen to anyone but Kitty. He looked down where she'd been, but Kitty was gone, leaving claw marks and upturned dirt in her place. "Damn it! Where are you, Kitty?! Show your ugly face!! I'm not done with you yet!" Ray shouted.

"Yes, yes….knight in the dark, we are not done. Kitty will be back for old meat sack. Lord Specter will be proud of Kitty, when you're all drained and dead! Ahahaha! Follow the soldiers to the clues if you can, we will be back!" she cackled, above them. Ray looked up and saw her vanishing before his eyes, then, all there was to see was the night sky.

"Damn….back to square one, but yeah, you'll be back. And we'll be waiting for you, you won't hurt my grandfather. No one else gets hurt….no one. We're coming Stephen….be alive." He told himself, leveling his sighs back down and ran to his grandfather. The old man had fallen off the ledge and landed in one of the little front yard ponds. He looked all right, better than all right really. He was smiling strongly and dripping wet, standing in the pond with a triumphant expression.

"Grandfather…..are you hurt? Are you ok? Say something?" ray asked, trying to help him out, but his grandfather hopped out himself and ran to the motley dressed young woman.

"Oh my dear, you saved my grandchild Ray-san. You are a brave girl indeed. Did you come here to save him?" he asked, excitedly, shaking her hands like crazy. She blushed a bit, managing to standing up throughout it and Ray saw she was maybe half a foot taller than him, maybe. Her guitar was already on her back again, with a dent in the back of it, not enough to break. "No…I came here to….be your student. I want to learn how to be a master of the martial arts to better myself, to get away from the material world of guns. I want to be a weapon of defense….its so dangerous out there for a woman these days."

"Oh, you want to learn, certainly, you will be my special student, my protégé….and I have decided to write my will now."

"Grandfather! What are you babbling about? You're not dying…." Ray countered, jogging up to them. The girl blushed again a little, and he saw her eyes were big and blue, childishly innocent for how weird she was dressed. "No, but I will someday. I officially, in front of a witness name Ray-san as my heir to the dojo….and you my dear…uh what was your name again?" his grandfather asked. Ray blinked, he'd heard his grandfather mention making him the heir to the dojo, but he thought he was too temperamental just now to deserve it. 'What did that crazy cat witch do to him? He's talking wildly.' He thought.

"Charlene Kunokun*, Charlie for short. Oh thank you, I can't wait to be a cool martial artist under you tutelage." She beamed. The old man grinned and grabbed Ray's hand and her and made them grip. Ray made a face, not understanding, while Charlie blushed.

"I promise my grandson to you for marriage once you are a full fledged martial artist." His Grandfather said happily, but it didn't matter how proudly he said it. Ray's face exploded with surprise. "WHAT!!!!???? M-Marry her!? I don't even know her! Grandfather, I'm only 16…..gods….what the hell!!" Ray exploded out, yanking his hand away as if the woman had burned him. She looked a bit uneasy about it too. "Hey, I just got here….I'm only 16 too. I'm not ready for instant marriage….we barely know each other…." She said softly, a little hurt. He felt bad about that, but it was the truth. They were strangers except by name.

"My word is the law of this house, you don't like it, move out. And if you, young lady, don't agree either, get taught elsewhere…." He huffed out. Ray sucked in his breath. 'Kitty….she did this, whatever's inside him is changing his judgment….ah well, he can't marry us in the next few days, all that stuff takes time. Once Kitty returns, the Crystal will be taken out….once we find Stephen to free my grandfather. It would kill grandmother if she saw him….as a monster.' He thought and sighed.

"I apologize grandfather….it is….just I am worried about the dojo. That woman may return for you to…steal it. I am sorry, we're just very tired. May we retire till tomorrow to…go over this? Its late, grandmother will worry." He let out evenly, his grandfather nodding slowly.

"Certainly, both of you are to be up bright and early for my training….6am sharp." He giggled out and sped off like lightening, leaving Ray with Charlie. He looked at her pinking face. "I'll show you to a spare room. It's not the greatest, but it's got a bathroom across the hall, bed, and an old dresser as well as good lights. The phone is near my room, 3 doors down….Charlie. That ok?"

She nodded. "Sounds posh….I can sleep anywhere, don't worry. I just really need to change my life. This is the place to do it in."

"Why?" he asked, leading her inside. "I'll tell you later….like you said, been a long night." She said softly. He nodded a bit and shrugged. 'Compared to Kitty….change is nothing. Be all right, Stephen….be alive.' He thought, and led her to her room.

                                                **_~ Junkyard ~_**

Moon Knight was back to back with Glamour. Normally, this would have been a sweet dream for him, against her soft skin, long legs, ebony and sweet smelling hair, but not now. They were hanging by a hook on a crane, dangling since Kitty returned without the Green Crystal of Flora and fuming. She nearly killed Glamour with a beating, but Moon took the brunt of it for making fun of Kitty. It was enough, to see she was all right. They were fast healers, but to see the woman he loved in pain was worse than death. 

Kitty finally got tired with them and tied their wrists to one another's and floated them up to this very hook. They'd been swinging aimlessly in the wind for a few hours now. Moon Knight worried for her, Kitty hated Glamour more than him. Kitty made it quite apparent she wanted to turn him into her person sex pet. It was repulsive, more repulsive than usual. She told him all the naughty little things she did to him in his sleep. He nearly threw up a few times, being told she fondled him, kisses his body, licked, all sorts of things he'd never allow such a smutty little tart like her do. 

A counselor told him once that hate was a very strong word and should not be used to describe anything. He replied that hate was the way he felt at the time when he broke a bullies nose for pouring milk on his head for the 50th time during yet another lunch day. She called it anger, he said they were linked emotions. Dislike was to be reserved for foods and drinks and movies you didn't care for. Hate was strong, he only felt it for evil things, like bullies and the people he was now fighting. He didn't hate people over religions, skin color, nationality or sexual preference, which plain wrong to feel about people. He knew better. Hate was strong when it was for a bad cause, and dangerous, but for this moment, he had to think back on it.

He hated the Dark Universe for what it had done, killed his childhood friend, and so many others, now he and Glamour were on the chop. They'd been here for over a week, beaten every so often so they'd be too weak to cry out. He tried and Kitty had heard him, so she clawed him up. He did it again, not caring for his safety in this matter, but that time she nearly killed Glamour. He never yelled out again. They just lay on the junkyard ground, watching worms and rats scurry past, huddling to one another for warmth. It was so cold out here, probably more for Glamour in her dress. If his hands had been free his cloak could have warmed her a bit.

Now, hanging over the dark ground and broken cars, his cloak blew around her often, warming her for a few moments at a time. He could hear his friends call his name out sometimes in the wind. Glamour seemed to not hear any of it, she didn't know to listen for it for she didn't know who he really was. He wanted to tell her, that and how much he really loved her, but….then he'd think back to the face and starry eyes of Gaia. His heart pounded at the thought of those eyes, those lips. He'd touched them so briefly, and it was like the perfect drug right now. He wanted to kiss her then, and….now, he wasn't sure what he wanted. He couldn't be in love with two different women. Gaia, such a beautiful name too, her lips had been as soft as a rose, like Glamour's, and her scent, oh her scent. It was like creation, pure and untouched. Was he falling in love with his best friend over finding out she was a girl, or was he just a perverted jerk?

Moon Knight only wished he knew. He'd speak with Gaia when he got free, he had to talk to her, and if it came down to realizing if he was in love with her or not, he'd take it. He just felt compelled to be with them both, something deep in his heart wanted to be with them. He didn't know why, but he went on thinking and surmising. 'Can I actually be in love with them both? Oh gods, why is this so insanely hard, why?' he thought, letting out a sharp sob.

"Moon Knight? What's wrong?" Glamour asked softly. He straighter his head and shook it. "Nothing….just….hope someone finds us soon, before Kitty decides we're better off in a blender." He lied.

"I guess…" she sighed," Moon Knight….if…we do get out of this, do you think we could talk….once I find the Soul Crystal?"

He turned his head a bit. "You want to talk after it? What about….?" She sighed again. "A lot of things….oh Kitty's coming….look!" she was saying, then her tone went sharp and angry. He didn't blame her, Kitty could make even a priest angry. 

Kitty was floating up to them, the sounds of creatures shuffling far below. "Well hellooo Knightly-Knight and bitch machine queen. Kitty found another one of your companion's identities….oh, and he's right near the last crystal. What fun, Kitty thinks Kitty will go back and get him tomorrow night. Ooooo, then, have him feed you to Kitty's new toy….then Kitty will have all of Kitty's trump cards with your lives in Kitty's claws. They'd do anything for white knight pretty boy and sultry dressed bitch." She snickered, spiraling around them insanely. 

"Go lick an electric wire in the rain….Gah!" Moon Knight hissed, getting a punch for his efforts. "Tastes like blood…and you will taste a lot better when you're my love slave. Once Glamour dies…you're my chew toy." She giggled out, grabbing his face. He struggled. "I'd rather die, sincerely death is happier than touching you!" he growled.

She giggled and frenched him. He kicked around, trying to force up some vomit into her mouth, but he hadn't eaten much in a while. All he could manage were choked, muffled yells, and gags. 

It stopped after a few minutes, her tongue licking the sides of his mouth as it left him. He spit right in her smiling face, but she went on smiling. Kitty will loosen your tongue soon, pretty boy. Till then….why don't you two hang around a while." She laughed and vanished with a growl. 

He spat pout her saliva, choking away. "I've been poisoned….again." he spat.

"Hopefully not for much longer, the other knights will find us….hopefully anyway."

"I know they will….cause I can't take anymore sexual supernatural harassment. Kitty is Kitty, she messed up over her egotistical vanity. She will mess up….I know it, and we'll be free…." He told her, feeling her head nod behind his.

'I hope….' He though crisply, wishing he didn't have to ask Kitty permission to pee. 'Hate…..dear gods….I hate her.' He added.

                                                **_~ Next Day ~_**

                                                **_~ Shinden Fenikkusu Doujou~_**

                                           _(Sacred Phoenix Dojo)_

"Bonzai!!!! Ahahahaha! Faster, Charlie, faster!! You'll never be a hero in your ill shape! Faster!" Grandfather laughed, chasing poor Charlie around on a swinging rope with a torch. She screeched and dropped off and bolted off around the dojo's back area, the old man in hot pursuit.

At first, Ray thought he was just having a silly nightmare. After a bit of eye rubbing and blinking, he saw it was very real. Charlie was dressed in the normal dojo training garb, the swaying dark colored pants, navy blue for this dojo with a red sash around the waist, and the white top that was a size or so too small for her long arms. From the elbow down it was her slightly peachy skin, but at least the pants covered her legs. She wore the socks and sandals as well, what he was used to wearing when he was training as a child and even now.

Charlie was screeching and panting, but not running out of the dojo in fear. She was simply keeping her distance and trying harder and harder to move faster. Her hair was in her eyes, her face covered in sweat. Ray didn't know why his grandfather was being so cruel to Charlie, all be it the girl seemed a bit dizzy to him, like an overgrown hippie. The fact she saved him from Kitty was pure luck. Kitty was just childish and a fool, but she nearly blurted his identity out to Charlie and his grandfather. 

To discover his grandfather had the last crystal inside his body was devastating. It made it easier to find Kitty, and where she was, Stephen and Lady Glamour would be. It was all he could hope for. Kitty would be back soon, it was easy to know only a childish mind would be so stupid. He'd get her then and find his comrades. 

Right now, trying not to yell or laugh was getting difficult. Charlie was running right at him now. He blinked a few moments before she slammed into his body. He pressed down with his feet and stayed upright, and looked down at the young woman in his arms. She was panting still, looking up at him weakly.

He could see one blue eye reveal itself as her bangs slid apart. She looked shy, but he ignored it. She was tired was all, probably winded and worried he was mad at her. He helped her up casually as his grandfather jogged up and bopped Charlie with a cane on her head. "Youch!" she yelped, holding her head.

"Hah, hah, too slow, my girl. You have to be faster than that to become a great martial artist and always carry your bokken, Charlie, no slacking." He laughed, and bopped her again. The third time Ray grabbed it in mid swing and took it from his grandfather. "Stop that, you're hurting her….Grandfather, this is insane, what are you trying to prove by beating her up and making her do crazy stunts. This is martial arts, this is mayhem!!" Ray yelled, swinging the bokken around at him angrily.

Ray blanched at the sight of his grandfather's determined eager expression. Charlie just looked on, looking a little stunned, her mouth open softly like a baby bird's. "Ray-san, just like you to say something so responsible, but I taught you all you know. Now Charlie must learn to earn your hand in marriage. She must take all sorts of stress, stunts, and pressure upon her body to become a fighting machine supreme." The old man said, rushing back inside.

He came out with another bokken and charged suddenly. Ray was about to bat him away when Charlie snatched the bokken from his hands and thrust it out to block. Her aim was off and she got knocked in the forehead. He face twisted a bit with the daze it brought her, and fell at his feet.

Ray blinked at her, then his grandfather, who was grinning proudly. "Ah, finally, she took the initiative. She'll make a good wife….lots of children….ah, I'm so proud, this will truly be the smartest move for our family." The elderly man beamed.

Ray growled. "Are you crackers or something!!? You just whapped a woman on the head and you are talking about babies!? Grandfather, this isn't you, 3 days ago, you wouldn't have thought twice about telling me it wasn't my time to become your heir, and all of a sudden after some crazy lady attacks you, I become worthy of that responsibility. Not only that, a woman we hardly know who just showed up in our dojo is my fiancée??? Dopes grandmother know about this??" he yelled.

The old man just nodded happily. "Yes and she's thrilled a girl has come into your life….she was worried she'd never see the day you'd calm down enough to care about a girl's well-being aside from your training. There's nothing wrong with me. As a matter of fact, I had your grandmother go to set up my new will to make it official. Once Charlie has become your equal, you will marry and take over the dojo," his grandfather boasted, puffing out his chest," There's nothing wrong with finally seeing how mature my grandson is as compare to your father. That man is never around for anything, but you're always here to help, loyal to your friends and you act more responsibly about things. Why, you haven't been in a fight or arrested for nearly a year now. Why shouldn't I make you my heir now?"

            Ray just stared at him angrily. "because you're not yourself. I can't explain it, but you'd never beat the tar or exhaust anyone who was willing to learn the martial arts. And as I recall, I know I'm not ready yet cause I'm not old enough for all this to come into my life. I'm still in high school, grandfather, I haven't even reached the police academy yet and you want me to settle down? Do you know how nuts that sounds?"

"Its perfectly sane….and if you want to live another day under our roof and not that of your father's boring apartment in the city area, you best accept it. Your father put your grandmother and myself in charge of raising you up to be a good and responsible young man. As for Charlie, the girl needs discipline, and if I have to beat it out of her, so be it. She's too weak and frail. I'll make a real woman out of her, a woman worthy of the Hitodama family…."

"Nnnhhgg…." Charlie moaned, sitting up slowly, a red mark on her forehead. Ray's grandfather looked at her and held up his bokken. Ray sighed, whatever Kitty had done, there was no stopping it. He couldn't leave to stop his grandmother from getting that will ready without risking Kitty coming to the dojo while he was gone. He'd have to endure the wait and try and keep clumsy Charlie in one piece. 

Charlie got up in a flash as his grandfather took a swing at her, blocking it this time, and then speeding off across the backyard training area, towards the ropes. Ray watched as she repeated the useless stunt, one his grandfather never used on him when he was trained. His grandfather swiped and struck at her while she barely managed to block the shots, some cracking into her limbs or sides, but she endured. Ray was a little surprised she was taking the abuse. He wondered why. What could be so important to take pain like that?

He shook it off and sat down by the koi pond to feed them. Charlie probably had her reasons, something she was avoiding, but it wasn't his business. She was just another girl; a klutz, a hippie, a singer, just an ordinary person with regular problems. He fed the fish casually, running his finger under their biggest koi's belly as Charlie let out another shriek, sprinting past him at top speed. 'How I envy you, Charlie….you're not lost in your problems. You don't have three lives on the line with time running out. Stephen….Glamour….and now my poor grandfather, Kitty has to be stopped before she ruins more lives….before she kills like Raven has….I never want to see that again. No more slaughters….I'll prevent it, not just for their sakes, but for my mom….another innocent who never stood a chance. No more innocent death….no more.' He thought, lowering his head as the loud training went on.

                                                            **_~ Nighttime ~_**

Ray was getting tired of watching Charlie and grandfather running around, more so Charlie was dragging herself around. Her clothes were a bit tattered, she had bruises and cuts, but kept on going. It had been like that since 6am, now it was 6pm….and on they went. They had stopped for lunch at least, sort of. Charlie had to get to her lunch atop a pedestal inside the dojo with four sacks of sand on her shoulders. He'd felt rotten for her, but also shocked and pitied her for going along with it. She climbed maybe 50 times before she reached her cold soup and once fresh bread. She had blisters on her hands and skinned her knee.

Grandfather made her go on after she wolfed down her food with more training, lifting incredible weights, out running him and his bokken, a crazy obstacle corse of swinging punching bags and slippery floors, but Charlie went on. He contacted Angela and Lamont while Charlie was eating, telling them to get over his place tonight. He filled them in on what Kitty had done, and they agreed that following her would lead them to their friends.

Grandmother was still out, but maybe she was just having trouble with the papers, which was a good thing. Ray was not eager to be a young husband or father. He had to get through school and college and the academy before he did anything like that. It was the responsible thing to do. Only imbeciles screwed around during high school without condoms. It was utterly stupid and irresponsible, and damaging. He hated people like that who couldn't keep it in their pants. Just because you like someone doesn't mean sex is the only way to express it. Kissing and dating are better ways of having a healthy relationship and marriage wasn't an excuse to have sex. Love was all people needed….Stephen wasn't too corny in thinking the same. If you were responsible, safe and in love then it was all right to make love. Safety over horny stupidity, that's what he believed in.

For right now, it was a good thing. He sat by the koi pond with Lamont and Angela in the brush of the gardens. They had come during more of the rope swinging training, unseen by his grandfather, and were able to easily hide. Cyrus was settled in his lap. The poor cat had gone from his home and to Lamont's. Angela's mother had an allergy to pets and the hacking and sneezing woman had thrown Cyrus out the window briskly after he'd snuck in. Ray petted the cat, letting him stay at his home more often than Lamont could. Lamont was a bit forgetful about feeding the cat and more so fed himself and his family. 

Ray at least remembered to buy the tuna fish and hide it so no one would eat it. Cyrus was a particular cat about what he ate, never eating cat food if he could help it. Cyrus either ate tuna or sweets, whatever he audibly asked for within reason. He'd asked for a sushi platter a few days ago, to which Ray pulled out a can of tuna and can of chicken and said," One or the other, take it or leave it."

Cyrus picked chicken and made a comment about knowing where Ray slept. Ray threw Cyrus out for the night and locked his door and window after that. The cat had a mind all his own, too human to be feline. It was odd, but who cared. A cat was a cat, talking or not. It wasn't his boss, it was the claws that bothered him. 

"How much longer? I'm tired and my fur is getting most from all this heat." Cyrus yawned. Ray sighed. "I hope not much longer, cause my eyes are about to fall out."

He yawned deeply and stretched. Then came a streak of white past his lidded eyes, then a crash. "Mr. Hitodama!! Get away! Ie!!" Charlie yelled, which was followed by another crash. Ray's eyes shot forward to settle upon Kitty, whose awful hand was thrust into his grandfather's chest. "Grandfather!! NO!! **_Mars Fire, Transform!!_** AH!" Ray shouted, his armor molding over his body swiftly. He pulled out his sword in a charge and jumped right at Kitty.

She thrust her body backwards, leaving a space of empty air where she once was. Mars Knight went through it and turned, but not fast enough to avoid slamming shoulder first into a tree. He looked up, the pain in shoulder throbbing like mad. Kitty had the green crystal in her hand. He was too late. He was right there and he couldn't stop her.

Mars Knight felt so angry, but it wouldn't help him. His grandfather was what mattered. His eyes went to the old man, who was now transforming into short and stout horned creatures with vine tentacles slinking out from his back. His face was no longer the energetic skirt chasing old man. The wrinkles were gone, any human skin or hair he'd had was all gone. All that was left with a muscled green beats with spikes and living vines. Hands became claws, razor sharp and deadly, and tusks thrust out his gaping jaws.

"Ah Vindicator….welcome back. Now the Green Crystal of Flora belongs to the Dark Universe. Hah! Now follow Kitty….the party has just started," she cackled, her crazy eyes darting at Mars Knight," Catch Kitty and Vindicator if you can, fire bug. Kitty's going to done on Galaxy Knight pate. Hahaah!" she cackled and vanished.

Mars Knight stood as his grandfather burst past him, slashing him right across the chest with his horrid claws. Mars fell back a bit, touching the deep gashes in the metal softly. He looked to where he grandfather had been standing, seeing one of their door was broken through by the force of Charlie's body. She was out cold, but looked unhurt. 

Mercury and Jupiter jumped out of the bushes in their armor and ran past him, Cyrus in hot pursuit. "Come on, Mars, he knows where Moon Knight is! Hurry!" Mercury shouted. Mars nodded and ran after them into the night. 'They're alive, hold on guys, we're coming….and I will save grandfather. You will pay for this, Kitty, I swear it.' he thought, keeping his blade out as he ran on the darkened streets.

                                                **_~ Junkyard ~_**

Mars and the others ran into the junkyard, then slowed down gradually, keeping to the destroyed cars to stay out of sight. Maybe Kitty's Dark Knights were gone, but Kitty was ten times as deadly. She was twisted, all be it childish, but still a force to be reckoned with. She had not only his grandfather under her sinister power, but Moon and Glamour were her prisoners. They had to set them free or Kitty would use them as bargaining chips. He didn't want it coming to that.

He felt a bit relieved it had to be a junkyard. Human villains used such crappy places for shootouts and the like, and it contained very few innocent people to get in crossfire. Not that he was going to voice his complaints about how cheap a place it was for a fight, it just meant she wasn't arrogant enough as Viper to try other dimensions or mansions and places loaded with people to fight. Viper had been tough, but too arrogant and it was his undoing. Kitty was just insane and vain, but utterly random. She kept her fights in reality with no thoughts of bystanders. That made her more dangerous, life was a game to her, worth playing at the cost of people's lives.

Splitting up was a bad idea. If there were traps in the area, they'd be on their own to escape and that was going to slow the rescue down. "So how do we find them? Moon Knight's not contacted us on his wrist radio, so he can't reach it." Mercury let out quietly.

"We listen….Kitty intends to kill them, so she'd have to make some noise to do it. I know it sounds cruel, but its not like she's going to turn on spotlights and lead us to them. She'd have to be utterly…." Was saying, then he saw some light out of the corner of his eyes," retarded? What the….?"

Mars moved towards it quietly, keeping his body crouched low to the ground. There were bright lights towards the center of the junkyard all pointing at a spot in the air. He squinted a bit to see what. Mars' eyes flashed open widely when he did, and his legs pushed him into a hard sprint. He barely heard Mercury and Jupiter run after him. "What? What's wrong?" Jupiter hushed out.

"Look up where the lights intersect!" he replied, running faster as his eyes lifted again towards the spot with them. Moon and Glamour were hanging by their wrists tied to a crane's hook. Moon's helmet and Glamour's mask were both still in place, but their bodies looked bruised and their armor dented. Kitty must have been very hard on them. Glamour's armor looked to have the most abuse, and a few cuts on her arms and legs. They were nothing fatal or deep, but probably just enough to cause pain.

He kept running till he was near the edge of the clearing of cars only a few feet from where their shadows were cast. Jupiter was panting and muttering how they would get them down. Mercury was using very curse word in the book about Kitty about what that white cat woman had done to their leader. At least they were being quiet, but knowing Kitty, she was expecting them to find this spot once they reached the junkyard. 

'She wants us to find this….she wants us all dead, why not get us all in one place….the sick bitch.' He thought, jumping a bit as another floodlight went on, shining down on the white glad, insane eyed Kitty, his grandfather's perverted, monstrous form nowhere in sight. She was rubbing the scar on her cheek, grinning with such dark and wicked desire that Mars' heart would have explode from the evil inside them.

"Kitty can smell you, goodie two shoes crew….come on out or the cute couple get squished." She giggled, pointing to her left. Mars' eye shifted that way and saw the crane booth was lit up as well, the monster Vindicator inside at the controls, drooling profusely. 

Mars walked out stiffly under Moon and Glamour, the Jupiter came beside him and mercury. Cyrus wasn't with them now, but Mars hoped the cat was making good with his disappearing act to aid them. Kitty grinned. "Good….we're on the same page. Kitty likes. Kitty really….likes…." she purred out, hopping off her spot.

She walked up to them grinning madly. "Now….remove your helmets, no funny stuff….Kitty wants Lord Specter to know firsthand who you all are. Chop, chop, Kitty wants to see you too." She giggled. Mars growled, she already knew who two of them were, but not she'd know who they all were. 'No choice, our friends die if we do anything to Kitty and my grandfather.' he thought and put his hands to his helmet.

"In a pig's eye, you Dark Universe tart!" mercury growled and tackled her. 'Dammit….Angie strikes again, what did I ever see in her!!?' he thought, pulling out his blade instead. "Jupiter, get to my grandfather….stop….him OH NO! Grandfather don't do it!!" mars shouted, his eyes filled with terror. Vindicator was working the crane, swinging Moon and Glamour to a rusty metal structure, a large one. It was the compactor, the machine that crashed cars into mutilated cubes. 'Stephen….Glamour…oh gods no!' he thought, images of blood filling his mind. "Jupiter! HURRY!" he yelled and ran for the machine. Jupiter took no time to respond and sped for the crane booth.

Mars reached the machine before his now writhing comrades did. They were both gagged and bound. They could offer no aid until they were free. 'My friends, can't let them die, not like this….not at the hands of the Dark Universe.' He thought and started climbing up the machine to the narrow ledge of the compactor. He looked up, watching Moon and Glamour pass over him. He jumped up, his finger barely grazing the heel of Moon Knight's wriggling boots. "No, too high! Moon Knight!" he shouted.

A crackle of electricity filled the air, the monster that was his grandfather howling his way out of the control booth. Jupiter tackled him and slammed his fists into the beast's gut and face. The controls were smashed, no one could drop his friends now, it'd only be a long climb to get them free. It was enough. He hopped off the machine and ran for the crane.

                                                            ~

Mercury kicked and slashes at Kitty with all her strength, the cat woman hitting and sending energy bolts at Mercury's body. Mercury dodged and blocked with her blade, coming back strong against the evil creature. She would never bow to these fiends ever. Removing her helmet was out of the question, not even for a hundred lives. If the Dark Universe knew their true identities, they'd never know peace, and helping the citizens of Tokyo would become ten times as hard. It was how she felt, she hoped the others felt somewhat the same way. They'd never have normal lives, but with their identities intact, they'd do it more discreetly.

Kitty came at her again, her ugly hand raking across Mercury's stomach. Mercury cried out, bringing her blade around hard. Kitty jumped over her and kicked her square in the back. Her blade lodged itself in a rusted car door and then her head slammed into the partially shattered window. Kitty laughed and the claw raked across her back. Mercury winced, holding back her pain enough to bring her fist around and crack Kitty in the jaw.

Kitty went flying, her white clad little body slamming into that large rust colored device. She looked up slightly, seeing Moon and Glamour were writhing on their hook over it. Kitty picked herself up, Mercury tugging on her blade hard to get it loose. Kitty would pay for all the pain she cause, taking her love away. She would suffer for that and more. The sword wasn't giving way, caught in the metal. Probably a part of the metal pieces inside it were doing it, she could hear it scraping against her blade.

She looked back at where Kitty was, in case the witch was going to try for another back attack. Her armor had saved her from deep cuts, but another shot would give her them if she wasn't on her guard. Kitty wasn't coming though, she was by the machine, her back to Mercury. Lightening crackled a ways off from Jupiter, reflecting on Kitty's right side. She was working the machine, buzzing and a loud engine starting up. She looked up at the crane hook that held their comrades up, Mars climbing up the neck of the crane to reach them, then back to Kitty as some dull and dirty lights flashes on the machine.

'That machine…is….oh gods no! Stephen!!!' her mind screamed, and she pulled with all her might on her blade. She pulled up and down until she chopped the door in half to get her blade free as the compactor started up, kitty's ugly hand pointing at Moon and Glamour. "No one denies Kitty anything. Say good-bye to your friends! Nyahahaha!!" she cackled darkly, energy fleeing her claws and severing the crane wire from the hook.

Mercury rushed for it, but Moon and Glamour were falling into the gradually springing space below them. "MOON KNIGHT! NO!!!!" she screamed, tears welling her eyes as she ran, the pair mere feet away from a crushing death.

"**_Flirtation Wrap!!" a female voice rang out suddenly from above. Mercury barely had time to shed her first tear as a golden whip shot out of nowhere and wrapped about Moon and Glamour, yanking them away from the death trap. The machine clamped on empty air as their comrades rolled onto the ground, the ropes used to tie them being ripped away by the glowing golden whip._**

Her eyes followed it to a lovely figure in a skirt and armor much like her own, but with a long golden blond braid whipping in the night air. The armored woman stood atop a mountain of cars proudly, with a cat at her feet of amber color. Her armor was corn silk yellow and her skirt black, the golden whip held tightly in her hands. She was beautiful, and Mercury almost felt envious of her.

Kitty let out a howling screech. "ANOTHER GOODY-TWO SHOES BRAT!!! ARHGGHH! You're worse than stupid cockroaches!! I'll kill you for messing up my plans, Bitch Knight!" Kitty screamed, and sent her energy beams at the woman.

The woman jumped out of harms way with her cat, both landing neatly near Mercury. Mars was running towards them, his blade extended, Jupiter still holding his own against Vindicator. "I don't think so, bad girl." She replied, and cracked her whip at Kitty hard, ripping a slice through her clothing. The green crystal popped out in an instant, but Kitty saw it and reached to get it back.  "No you don't. Taste the power of love for I am Lady Venus! **_Flirtation Coker! _**_Extend your love!_" she called out, her whip flashing out at Kitty. It caught her by the throat and tightened. Kitty gagged and clawed at the whip until Lady Venus threw her into a tower of rusted cars.

Mercury didn't know what to say, she was utterly stunned by this new knights arrival. Normally Stephen and Cyrus sought them out, not the other way around. Then she felt the girl's cat rub against her leg. She looked down at the amber cat with deep blue eyes. "You talk too?" she asked, more to be sure than anything.

"Why yes, I do talk, young lady, and you're very brash. How about we help you tired that crystal keeper while your leader recovers? Or do you have a hot date or something?" the cat smoothed out, female in voice, but every bit as sassy as their own Cyrus.

Mercury sniffed. "Why don't we just spay the talking cats and move on….?" Mercury grumbled and sprinted to Jupiter aid. "**_Icicle Daggers!_** Hah!" she shouted, the small spikes of frozen magic leaping from her blade. They slammed into Vindicator's right arm and ribs, slicing through with unfeeling cold. He howled and turned on her. He charged, but Mars rammed into the right side himself, and slammed his blade into its back. "Let my grandfather go, you beast. Fight him grandfather! Fight! Think of your family! Don't leave us like this! FIGHT!" Mars shouted.

Lady Venus' whip cracked across Vindicator's front, his eyes glazing with mars' words. He wasn't fighting so hard now, just taking it. His eyes were confused. 'His grandfather's in there somewhere, just like Dido was….is it because those two got to know us? Or is their humanity stronger….gods I hope so.' She thought and slashes at the creature, driving him back.

"Fight Kitty's power! Only you can, grandfather, you're not evil, its Kitty that is evil. She's done this to you, you're a good man, don't let her ruin your life with this, don't give up!" Mars shouted again, pushing hard on the monster. It wasn't fighting back now, only holding its head and shaking itself around in pain. The darkness was weakening. Mars had done it, he'd brought his grandfather's strength through with his love for him.

She turned back, looking to Moon Knight as he looked on, Glamour crouches a ways off. There was a glint of green in her hand. 'That bitch, she's stealing the crystal for herself…I knew she couldn't be trusted." She thought angrily, taking a step.

Moon Knight lifted his blade up and seemed to crumble a bit in his stature. "Moon Knight…." Mercury let out, rushing to his aid. Glamour was forgotten, right now her Moon Knight needed her help, he was more important than that black dress wearing tart.

"Thanks, Mercury….now….to set Mr. Hitodama free….**_Celestial Healing LIGHT!_**_ Encircle!_" he called, the beams of light leaping into the sky from his blade, then infecting the monsters beaten body. Vindicator began to howl with pain as his body became pure light, then it faded with a soft sizzle, Mr. Hitodama in its place, standing for a few moment.

His eyes opened weakly a moment before he let out one word. "Ray…." The man rasped, then crumpled to the ground in a tired heap. "Oh!" Mars yelped and rushed to his aid, picking the old man up tenderly in his arms," I have to get him home….sorry guys….he needs to rest."

Moon nodded. "Do what you have to….Thanks for everything, Mars…."Moon sighed out, a small, stubborn smile on his face," Thanks for not giving up on any of us."

Mars nodded with a grin. "Anytime, dork."

Moon chuckled. "You got it, idiot."

Mars ran off then with the old man, Mercury nuzzling herself to Moon Knight softly. Moon made a grunt, his head turning towards where Glamour was. He made a sad sigh when he realized she was gone again. Mercury held back her anger. That stupid woman had stolen the last crystal. She now had two of them as did the Dark Universe. The Galaxy Knights had three, but that wasn't all of them. They needed the other four to find the Soul Crystal that would stop the darkness in its tracks. There was nothing she could do about it now, only hope that they could get the crystals away from the tart and the evil ones.

"Moon Knight, hey!" Cyrus announced at their feet, sitting there as if he'd always been there. "And where were you?" Mercury hissed. Cyrus' ears dropped. "Like I said, I'm the cat, not a human like all of you….I was trying to find a way to cut the power to the machinery, then Lady Venus over there showed up and saved all our skins….and her feline friend." Cyrus sniffed.

Mercury still had the urge to kick him, but he was right. What could a cat do against human sized things anyway other than bite or scratch. It was pathetic to consider Cyrus fighting Kitty when the she-witch could easy swallow him or squash him in a few minutes.

Mercury felt Moon turn his body towards Lady Venus, who stood some feet away by the compactor. "Thanks for the rescue, and I know you're Lady Venus….but might you be …the Earth Princess?" he asked quietly.

She giggled and put her finger to her chin. "Could be….but let's talk about it later, you all have had a long hard battle today. Let's pick this up at another time, ok? Great…." She said proudly, quickly turning around to leave.

Her feet suddenly got tangled together and she fell right over on her face. Her cat friend sighed and ran over to her. The girls sat up sitting flat on her butt, her knees together and flat on the ground. She was crying.

Mercury was sure all of them blinked at her for the minute it lasted before the amber cat bit Lady Venus. She yelped and jumped up, then ran off.

"Did we just see that…or am I delirious from hunger?" Moon asked, sounding befuddled.

Jupiter got along side them, staring wide-eyed. "We just say that. Anything else?"

Moon nodded. "Yeah….let's go get a bite to eat before this gets any stranger. I've had a long week."

Jupiter nodded and helped Mercury get him out. Life was dangerous sure, but seeing such a crybaby reaction and all the hell they'd gone through still on their minds, considering it any further would only make their brains hurt. Moon  and Mars Knight's identities were still known to Kitty, and as long as she was alive, all of them were in danger, no matter what else was happening. Death was waiting to strike….soon.

_                                                            **To Be Continued….**_

**_*Kunokun _**_is just a play on words on the name of my second favorite** Ranma ½ **character**. **Kuno-kun merged, if anyone is wondering. No idea what Kuno means yet, but it was to represent that "Charlie" is Chad's replacement in my series._

**_Teaser: Cat's in the Cradle and the Silver Doom!!__ Kitty challenges Moon and Glamour a final time, but without the others' knowledge. Venus reveals herself to the others, Grandfather makes an announcement, and in a race between good and evil the Galaxy Knights must fight their way through a warped version of Tokyo Tower to rescue their friends from not only Kitty, but their destined and tragic fate. SONGFIC people, featuring "My Only Love."_**

_Vote through my e-mail address on which Knight is best, which is worst, and what secondary character made the grade or flunked. If you want to, I won't force anyone, but it'd help me know how certain characters are viewed. I will also answer any questions as well, and **drama81** please, I hope you're still going to work with me. I am looking forward to your insights and ideas._


	21. Ch 21: Cat’s in the Cradle and the Silve...

**_Disclaimer: __I do not own anything of _****Sailor Moon or its love song ****My Only Love. Its here at long last, readers, revealing the Soul Crystal and tragic romance. I hope I did this episode justice in my version. And if anyone thinks I better get on getting Angie off Stephen's ass by getting her in love with somebody else, forever shout your suggestions. She annoys even me. **

**_Chapter 21_**

**_ Cat's in the Cradle and the Silver Doom_**

_                                                **~ The Dark Universe ~**_

****Kitty stood before Specter, her head bowed neatly. She wanted to bite Xeno, all he cared about was Raven. He was weak and stupid like Raven was, and deserved to die, then she'd get all the credit. Xeno was the only one allowed to hold the crystals, the two they had anyway. 

            Those rotten knights had them, but not for long, soon they'd all belong to Lord Specter. Red and yellow were in their grasp at least, the other crystals were useless to those goody-goodies. Specter wasn't angry with her because they at least had two, but if she failed now, she'd never live to see their victory. With her plan, there would be no more problems.

            "Well, Princess Kittiana….you said you have a plan to discuss, start talking….Though neither of you have done a good job, two crystals and no princess. This had better be good….or you join Viper and Raven in eternal torment," Specter grumbled out," The goddess and I both grow highly impatient….and that's not beneficial to your existences."

            Kitty nodded, ignoring Xeno's knowing expression. "Kitty does, yes. Kitty knows the identities of Mars and Moon Knight."

Specter shot up straight, his eyes broadening with surprise. "You found them!? Tell me now!" he let out, rubbing his hands together evilly. Kitty grinned. "No…."

Specter glowered at her and stood. "No?…..YOU DARE SAY NO TO YOUR LEADER!!" he bellowed. Kitty nodded. "Kitty won't tell you unless you don't touch Kitty in harmful ways. Kitty wants security that she will rule, not stupid Xeno who does nothing but track and fail, then logic Kitty to death. Kitty wants to survive and be in charge of this mission…..Lord Specter gets Moon Knight, if Kitty goes on. Deal?" she smoothed out.

Specter tightened his fist a moment, snarling, but did not speak for a few moments. Composure came slowly, his voice a clamor of hate and anger. "If you bring me Moon Knight and the crystals he possesses….I will….spare your life…."

"Always….Kitty wants to hear it." She grinned.

He growled, but nodded sharply. "Always. I will not kill you as long as you do it. Now what is your plan….Kittiana….?" he hissed out venomously. Kitty nodded and gave a sly smile at a still serious faced Xeno.

"Good, Kitty's plan is to trap Moon Knight in a place of my choice. Kitty sent a special invitation to the arcade he hangs out at, the place where he thinks he can hide. He will think Kitty kidnapped his family and will kill them if he tells his comrades. He will come with the crystals to bargain for their lives, then you and Xeno can witness Kitty's triumph when she steals them and drains him his energy."

Xeno sniffed. "That plan could fail….how do you know he'll buy it without proof?"

She giggled and whirled about on one foot. "Kitty thought of everything, walking dead man. He'll come….and he'll fall for it hook, line and sickle. Kitty is staking Kitty's life on this plan, it can't fail. He cares too much about innocents. Trust Kitty."

Specter looked at Xeno, then Kitty, thinking hard and angry. "Then….if you succeed, you will be spared, but I want his energy, I want him to suffer after to steal the crystals. If you succeed, that is….My patience has worn out for your antics and the failures….Viper was lucky….he died at the hands of the knights, but you will die as Raven did if you fail one more time, worse than Raven even. You will suffer endlessly in the torture chambers before I send your mutilated body into the living death! Is that perfectly clear…._Princess?" he laced out, the last word iced over as the devil's wings._

She nodded, knowing there would be no failure. "As clear as the spittle of a dying human, Lord Specter."

"Good, now you get ready with your plan…..Xeno and I will wait for your call. Go now….before I change my mind of your usefulness….." he hissed out. 

Kitty nodded and vanished with a growl of her powers. 'Drain, shmain…..Moon Knight dies for what he did to Kitty's beautiful face…then Glamour will follow. Kitty can make up any story Kitty likes. Kitty will still have Mars Knight's identity tucked under Kitty's belt. They can't touch Kitty with that in mind, Kitty can make up whatever story Kitty likes about Moon's sudden 'accident,' yeah.' She thought wickedly, grinning to herself as she imagined that boy strung up by his intestines for what he'd done to her beauty.

                                                            ~

Specter looked at Xeno sharply, his teeth locked in a feral sneer. "Follow her, I can't see her intentions, so you will be my eyes Xeno. I'm the one who is in charge of this mission, not some insane little cat bitch. She may have their identities in her grasp….but that will change. Stay where her plan will take place and watch the little bitch. She'll suffer regardless for challenging me with her childish stupidity. And don't you dare get caught….let her think she's holding the cards for as long as you can." Specter growled out lowly.

Xeno nodded. "Kitty will never leave my sights, sire. She will regret defacing your evil name with her moronic behavior." Xeno said in a bow, then vanished with the crystals in their velvet bedded case. Kitty would learn respect and humility very soon. Xeno was loyal and smart, though only a lowly knight. Specter should have sent him instead of Viper then maybe the earth universe would be theirs long ago. 

It mattered little at this point to think of what if's and maybe's, the crystals were at hand and Moon Knight was coming. It would all end for someone soon.__

******_      ~ Haitsuchi's Arcade Heaven  ~_**

**_                                                            - Next Day, 4pm -_**

            Stephen flushed the toilet. It had been a few days since his rescue and it was nice to have a toilet again, not jars, or Kitty 'helping' him go. That was a nightmare of perverted cruelty and he never wanted to suffer that crap again. He ate like a horse when he was freed, nearly cleaning Allan out of all his groceries. He nearly called up Gaia to ask if he could crash at her place, but he didn't want to put her in any danger, or get those feelings again. 

He hadn't seen Gary/Gaia since he came to crash at the arcade. Akki never seemed to mind him and sometimes she would talk to him about Allan. She was very pleasant and nice, but to think of her taking Allan away from Japan forever just hurt. He'd never get to see his friend again except on holidays. He wanted to stay in his native country, but Allan deep down must have had different ambitions. 

            Allan tolerated him staying there, buying Stephen's story about his parents telling him to improve his relationship with his brat sister or else. His parents were tough enough to do such a thing. His grades were good enough right now that saying he flunked a subject wouldn't work. At least Allan was here for him now, but even Allan couldn't stop Kitty from going after Stephen or his family. He was so worried, but he worried even more that Kitty was waiting for him to check out his home and then blow it up before his eyes.

            'Farther away I am, the safer they are….' He thought, zipping up as he walked back into the room. It was ok, sleeping on the couch or the card table. He had a bathroom, a fridge, and Allan had said he'd get his clothes cleaned up when he needed it. Today was already day eleven for his jeans and shirt. Thankfully Allan loaned him some boxers and socks because his own were pretty much smudged with dirt and sweat.

            He had given his shirt and jeans a rinse in the sing yesterday, but Akki walked in on him and screamed for Allan. Though he was in a daze when it happened, half hoping it was Gaia. He'd never intended to see her lovely body so thoroughly, but it was a crazy accident. She was probably avoiding him after his stupid attempt to kiss her. He still felt guilty, yet part of him wanted another chance at her lips, to love her mouth with all he felt in his heart. Then Glamour came to mind. He loved her too, which hurt. Gaia was around him more often than Glamour, but he'd fallen in love with Glamour first. He couldn't choose, he just couldn't, he loved them both and it was killing him.

Wham!

            Stephen's thoughts peeled away as he walked right into the table and tripped right over it. "Yow! Oof…." He let out as he hit the ground front first. He pushed himself up gradually, the wind near knocked out of him. Then came someone clapping.

He looked up, still pushing himself off the floor and saw Allan holding a package in his hands. "I give you a 5.3 for the landing." He said with a grin.

            Stephen sniffed and stood up fully. "Very funny…what a lousy place to put a table."

            Allan sighed. "It's been in the same spot for years, Stephen, you daydreams just moved it for you magically. Evil elves and all that….Spooky." Allan laughed.

            "Oh you're a real cut up today….I'm peeing my pants and rolling in the aisles its so funny," Stephen glowered," How about you tell me what's in the package before I heave a heart attack from the hilarity?"

            Stephen didn't mean to sound so crass, but he saw nothing to laugh about when everyone he knew and loved could die if they were near him. It just weighed on his mind, he wanted to be free of the burden of Kitty, free of all the danger, but one could wish in one hand and shit in the other, then see which one piles up first. 'Always the crap….life sucks.' He thought as Allan presented him with the package.

            "Its for you….no return address though, not very heavy either. Probably a bomb of someone you rammed into." Allan snickered.

            Stephen frowned. "That's not funny….sincerely not funny…eh but in case, could you wait in the arcade if it is….?" Stephen let out sarcastically. Allan nodded. "Sure, sure….take your time….like it would be." He said, then left the room and the door clicked shut.

            Stephen gulped a bit and set the package on the table. He pulled his talisman out and used the tip to cut through the shoddy tape. Kitty wouldn't send him a bomb. Only cowardly humans sent bombs. He wasn't a very important person so he doubted he'd be worth the explosives. Stephen sucked in deep breath and cut it open, then carefully opened the package up with his eyes shut.

            He waited a few seconds before opening one eye. Nothing had jumped out at him yet, so the worst wait was over, for now. He looked inside, finding a small opal and a blood stained wallet and a doll. He blinked at them and picked the wallet up, the blood fresh and warm on the leather. He opened it up and there was his mother's license staring back at him with her bad hair day picture. One of her earrings sliding out of it to clink upon the table's surface, with the bottom lobe still attached. "Mom?….!" he gasped and dropped it, reaching in for the doll. It was his sister's doll, the same overly expensive doll that wet it diaper, some blood on the dress and some of his sister's hair. "Casey. Oh gods, no….!" he yelped and grabbed the opal, it sparked in his head and levitated out of his hand. It now hover a few feet away, across the table about, glowing a soft white.

            He waited a moment until it made a soft humming noise and a holographic image of Kitty herself, holding his unconscious sister in her arms. The white clad cat witch had a dagger pressed to Casey's neck, drawing blood. "Casey! You let her go you bitch! I'll kill you!" h yelled at the image, but it just smiled brightly at him.

            "Not likely, Moon boy….If you want to see mother and sister alive and in one piece, meet Kitty at the park where Kitty attacked you and dark boy. Come now before Kitty gives sister and mother happy faces on their faces and necks, with Kitty's claws. Come alone with the crystals and tell no one….or they die. Ta-ta, pretty boy." She giggled, then the opal shattered.

Stephen dropped the doll and ran out of the arcade fast, peeling past Allan. He didn't hear what Allan said. Stephen didn't care. His mother and little sister were going to die because of him, he couldn't let someone else die. Mark already had, that was one too many. Now his family was in danger. He couldn't let it happen. The crystals were in his pocket. He'd gotten them back before coming to the arcade to hide. 

'Mama….Casey…gods, you didn't do anything to them….no, I won't let you die, no more dying!' his mind screamed as he ran for the park. He couldn't save Mark, he'd never gotten the chance, but he could save his mother and sister. He would, he'd save them and make Kitty pay dearly for even touching them.

            He saw the park sign coming up and slowed himself down. He'd overshoot the spot where he and Gary/Gaia had been attacked if he ran too fast in the park. It was all coming down on him. He hadn't changed a thing or protected anyone. His mother and sister were in danger because he didn't face Kitty as soon as possible. He could have tried to find her harder, to challenge her anything, but now he and Mars were known to her sick little mind. Ray was in danger too so long as Kitty was alive. He had to end it today, or it'd never stop.

"Stephen! Wait!" a voice called out, Gary's muddled cold voice. 'Gaia?' he thought and stopped in mid-jog. He had not gone but a few feet from the entrance when the voice came. He turned around slowly, his cheeks threatening to redden. 

"Gary….wha…what are you doing here?" he asked, his cross-dressing best friend in her male disguise running up to him. Sweat was on her face, dripping off softly. "I was yelling and yelling and you wouldn't stop….what's the rush?" Gary panted, taking off her sunglasses a little to wipe her wet brow. 

"You were? How….long were you running after me?" Stephen asked, nearly smiling at how her gloved fingers slide on her skin, taking the sweat away softly. He shook his head hard to get such thoughts out of his head. The sunglasses went back on, Gary standing up straight and looking at him. "I was walking to the arcade when I saw you shoot out like a bat out of hell….what's wrong, you look so worried and flushed." Gary let out, catching her breath gently.

"I….uh, its complicated….I have to get into the park somewhere to meet someone. Its personal…I…don't want you to get hurt or anything…Gary." He said softly, taking a step towards her. She flushed a bit. He could see his presence alarmed her, but he didn't know why. He was so confused about his feelings, he didn't know what to think.

"You're in trouble….its not illegal is it? Is someone forcing you to do something? Come on, we're best friends. Let me help. You're helping me too….friends should help each other….right?" she said, stepping closer as well.

"Yeah but….this is different. No, its not illegal, but….its dangerous….someone took my…ah gods, if I tell you, she'll hurt them. I can't Gary."

Gary shook her head. "Its ok….you don't have to tell me, but at least let me watch you back. No telling what this person might do to you. You can't go it alone….maybe I…thought alone would save me, but my nightmares come back regardless of me staying hidden. I'm helping you whether or not you say yes." Gary said sharply.

Stephen hissed his breath out, but Gary stood there determined. She did have a valid a point. Friends helped each other, like he wanted to help her, but he wanted to be more than friends with Gaia. Maybe, now was a good time to tell her what he'd thought about, maybe, put his mind at ease.

"Ok, but, we're keeping to the trees, and when we reach that clearing we got attacked in, you stay in the brush so she doesn't see you…ok? I don't want you hurt too….it'd kill me to lose you," Stephen let out, biting his lip softly," and I need to talk to you….as well."

Gary nodded and got up beside him. "Me too….actually….let's…get going." Gary said softly, in her real voice.

Stephen smiled a bit and started to walk through the canopy of trees over the path they always took to Gary's apartment. It was different now, Gary wasn't his best male friend. Gary was his best female friend, a beautiful and hauntingly enchanting female. So much had changed since he saved Cyrus from being crushed, he was a super hero, his childhood friend was dead, he'd made new friends and enemies, thrust into a world he didn't fully understand, but his heart was the same. It wanted to understand how he felt, and now he had the chance to talk to Gaia about it, to take a chance and see what fate had in store for his heart. He might not get another chance. Kitty and him, one on one would be a difficult battle. 

"Gary….I….well, I have this friend who has," he breathed out, wanting to kick himself for taking the coward's road,"…. feelings for this woman. He's loved her for a long time and was his first kiss, but….she's evasive, she's tortured and wants to go it alone. It hurts him so much to see her like this and he loves her so much but….he doesn't know if she wants to be with him. She always runs off on me and won't let him help her. The last time I spoke with him, he said….she was hurt, but….then she just ran off again. Then he…." He said softly, then looked at the leaves on the trees.

"Then he what?" she said, looking a bit disturbed, almost guilty about what he was saying.

'Yeah, while we're talking about me and making myself feel like a jackass. Gods, why did I have to make it sound like someone else's problem….I'm such a moron. Stephen…. You're such a cowardly liar!' He thought.

 "Then he….met another girl, a girl that he just never noticed till recently and he don't know what it is but feels familiar about her. He's utterly confused and awful. He swears up and down that he can't feel so greatly for two women but he does. It's her eyes, he says, something in them tells him to remember something he can't. He….feels so much for them both, but, the other girl, she….it hurts so much to think how she has suffered too. He wanted nothing more than to pick her up and tell her it'd be all right and they would face it together, but he wound up making an ass out of myself and may have hurt her feelings. He feels so guilty about hurting her feelings….he knows he must have." He let out.

Gary watches him, still walking softly. "I….He doesn't know what to do anymore and its driving him insane. Every time he tries to think, he sees her eyes and wants to cry. Gary…..what…should he do….? Is he a horrible person for the way he feels….or what?" He said softly. He wanted to scream, to cry, anything so she would say something, but she just stared quietly at him.

"I'm sorry….if you hate me for saying all this. It's all right. I'm not the most together guy in the world….I may be smart and such, but when it comes to people, I'm a screw up. I…uh…can't really help my friend real well with his problem. I'd understand if you never wanted to speak to me again for bringing it up." Stephen added fitfully, rubbing at his arm as he walked on. 'Keep talking Stephen, look even more retarded than you do now….maybe she might deck you instead of just slap you silly….she has to know who I am talking about.' He thought sorely.

Gary touched her chin a moment, following him evenly. Her form seemed brighter in her male disguise, almost heavenly. He'd probably dream about her too and it would drive him insane. He'd deserve it for being so stupid to think Gaia felt love for him. He was the meathead babbling his heart out to her only a week or so after he'd discovered Gary was a woman. It was his own fault for being such a ditz with romance, his fault.

"Stephen….I….don't hate you." She said softly. He blinked a few times, stopping in mid-step as the words processed within his mind. "You….you don't?" he whispered out.

He shook her head. "I doubt I ever could….and you don't have to hide from me, like I don't have to hide from you. When you left my apartment, I wanted to tell you something else instead of what came out of my mouth….I was afraid you wouldn't understand but…."she let out softly, a tear streaming down her cheek. He gripped her hands softly, warmly holding them in his. 

"But what….? Don't cry, please…." He said softly.

"Oh, please do cry, boys…..cause you're about to kiss the girls good-bye, baby! Time to play with Kitty!!! Aahahahahahahaaa!!" Kitty's voice cackled above them. Stephen gripped Gary's hands tightly as he looked up, seeing the white clad evil princess throw a white ball of light at them. "No! Gary run!" Stephen yelling, pushing Gary away, but it was far too late. The ball struck them hard, lighting cracking inside as it lifted them both off the ground. Stephen felt his mind dulling, darkness coming through the light. 'Gaia….' He thought, then everything went black, never able to see that he and Gary were being floated to Tokyo Tower.__

**_~ Shinden Fenikkusu Doujou~_**

                                           _(Sacred Phoenix Dojo)_

****"He's late…." Ray muttered, watching Charlie a moment trip over her broom and she swept off the stone paths. It was a miracle she stayed upright at all, but he singing wasn't so bad. He could hear her sometimes softly singing her heart away, love songs mostly. Grandfather had woken up the day after his encounter with Kitty and the darkness inside his soul, back to pinching young ladies hind ends and boasting himself away. He was back to the dirty old man Ray knew, as well as the sane teacher. Charlie wasn't doing back flips or trying to be a super hero, nor taking any outward abuse from the bokkens. 

            Some things were sane, at least. Grandmother told him what he had told her to do, and he seemed to grow quiet and then took grandmother to their room. Ray hadn't seen them, except at meals and the occasional class he stood in with. Grandfather seemed to be thinking things over his behavior. Soon Ray would only have to think of being betrothed as a bad dream, that his grandfather was at last safe from that white fluffy psycho kitty tart. 

            "He's not usually this late, Ray….Maybe detention?" Lamont let out, chewing on his cherry bubble gum. As he blew his bubble, Angela's fingernail popped it quickly. Her face held a scowl. "Snowflake might be in danger, and if he got detention or something, he'd had to have been in school today, lame brain. Did you bother to tell him about the meeting in class?" She let out harshly.

            Lamont sniffed, sticking his tongue out at her. Cyrus was in his lap, looking worried as well. The cat yawned a bit with a roll of his eyes. "I saw him in school, he left early. He said he didn't feel well….so he probably went to the arcade. I didn't stop there, I came right here, and yes, Miss Ice Queen, I told him we were meeting about Lady Venus and all….that she might be the princess of earth. I mean she had a cat of her own, she has to be as special as Stephen, I gather." Lamont replied.

            "Yes, that cat spoke as I do….she might know more about the princess, and if that Lady Venus is who we have been searching for….we can at last vanquish Lord Specter." Cyrus said proudly, hopping off Lamont's lap and rubbed against Ray's leg.

            Ray nodded towards Cyrus then frowned at Lamont. "How come you weren't drooling all over her….with your blonde fetish and all….you didn't even ask for her phone number or a date."

            Lamont just rolled his eyes and went on chewing. "I'm particular…..she just didn't do much for me ok? Yes, she had nice hair, cute lips and long legs but…I don't know….She wasn't my type."

            "I thought anything blonde in a skirt was your type."

            Lamont grinned snidely at her. "Anything of my own species….and female, so that wouldn't include you. I just happen to prefer blondes….sentimental reasons anyway. I don't go stalking my interests to hysterics."

            "Why you little ape!" Angie hissed, reaching to slap him, but ray got between them. "Enough already!! Ok, so even Lamont has standards. Give it a rest. We're concerned about the meathead, aren't we? If he went to the arcade early from school….he should really be here by now." Ray growled out.

            "Who isn't here, Ray-san?"

            Ray stopped in his movements a moment, his head finally turning towards his grandfather's voice. The short old man and the old woman were not but five feet away, so quiet one could have heard a butterfly's wings flit. 

            "How long were you standing there?" he asked.

            The old man smiled and shrugged, approaching them with grandmother. He whispered something to her and the old woman went off down the path, where Charlie had vanished to, probably tripping away. "Only a minute, Ray-san, I saw Miss Angie-chan going and Lamont, and decided it'd be a good time to interrupt your group chat. So who isn't here?"

            "Stephen, Grandfather….he's a touch late, is all. We're worried." Ray told him, praying his grandfather was being honest. The elder man nodded and made a slight gesture with his hand towards Ray. "Come here, Ray-san, I hope you have a little time to speak man to man with your old grandpa. You grandmother told me I was doing some odd things a while back." He said, grinning a bit.

            Just like his grandfather to think it was amusing. "Yeah….we were worried something was very wrong with you, you scared me a bit." Ray let out softly, trying to act like he didn't understand what occurred either. The elder man sighed. "Well, you grandmother also told me how you acted when I was acting strange, that you stood up to me for that girl Charlie when I….was misbehaving in my tutelage," The old man blushed out, rubbing his nose," I spoke with Charlie and she confirmed it, and also told me that you never left until some horrible beast attacked me. That you jumped in to stop it before she went unconscious. Is this true? I wanted to hear it from your own lips, Ray-san."

            Ray shrugged a bit, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked back a bit and saw grandmother coming back, tugging Charlie by her hand. The young woman looked like she'd fallen in the koi pond again. She even had a few cherry blossoms stuck in her hair. He sniffed a bit, how clumsy and awkward she was. It was a wonder she was able to walk.

            He looked back at his grandfather, rolling his eyes a bit. Why care about what Charlie did? She was just some tipsy airhead, trying to defend herself. She was of no more concern to him anymore. "Yes, what she and grandmother said is true. I did my best….to defend you. It worked out, I got lucky." Ray said. It wasn't far from the truth. His grandfather would have hurt a lot of people as a beast. If Ray had done nothing, Stephen and Glamour would have died, with or without Lady Venus' help as well.

            The old man smiled as grandmother and Charlie got up beside him. Grandmother had a pouch on her hip, something of a dark blue velvet color. He hadn't noticed it before. It was on her left side. He had been more intent upon looking at his Grandfather being outside for once, if he really remembered what happened. His worries were dampened now, but now he wondered what was up.

            "Well, that synchs it. Grandmother, proceed." Grandfather grinned.

            Grandmother smiled, making Ray worry again. She grabbed up Charlie's hand and tugs her to Ray, then grabbed up one of his hands. Ray felt his stomach tighten as their hands were gripped. He tried pulling out of it, but Grandfather slapped at his hand and shook his head. 'NO, no, no! I'm having a nightmare! I solved this problem when we stopped Kitty. Jeez, why me!? I don't even know her that well….ah….no one is safe, men and women are betrothed at random!' he thought wildly.

            He could hear Lamont giggling and felt the wild urge to break that blonde-chaser's teeth in, but each time he tried to move, his hand was slapped. 'Just wait, Lamont….you me, and a katana have an appointment.' He thought harshly as his grandmother pulled out a long and thin red ribbon and wrapped their hand elegantly in it. It was soft and sleek, pure silk, and pure insanity they were using their old family tradition. It wasn't essentially a Japanese tradition, but his family's ancestors adapted it from an ancient Greek tradition. It was unique here as far as he knew.

            He had to stand for it, and hoped their excuse for this was worth his personal freedom being stomped on. "Since it has been approved in my will as of yesterday and your father agreed as well, I officially betroth Ray Hitodama to Charlene Kunokun, with two witnesses not of the family to verify as such."

            "Better make that three, mister-giggle-." A cheery voice let out. Ray turned and saw a young lady with long blonde hair and pink hair band with a small bow atop it. Her eyes were a cheerful blue, similar to her happy and joyous expression. There was a soft reddening in her cheeks, an obvious blush, and her hands to her cheeks. She was enjoying this miserable moment of his. At her feet, was that same amber cat, its tail swaying back and forth.

            "Three then….miss uh…"

            "Martina Keikoku*, Mister Hitodama. I'm a friend of Stephen's….we met near the junkyard a while back, old friends. Tee-hee." She giggled out, waving at the others.

            'She's Venus….that cat of hers gave her away more than her little comment, and she's no help either.' Ray thought.

            Ray simply turned away. She wasn't helping him either. "All right, three witnesses and our tradition continues. This betrothal is official, unless Charlene or Ray break it by adultery…..therefore, Ray will be ousted from the family….or….Charlene will be kicked out of the dojo. Faithfulness….matters." grandfather said with a light chuckle.

            'If it mattered, would you grab young women's asses near constant? Adultery, I'm not even friggin' married!!' he thought angrily, glaring at his grandfather as his grandmother released their hands. "But you weren't yourself the last time you decided this, why are you not changing your mind?" Ray demanded.

            "When Charlie and your grandmother told me how responsibly you acted towards your family and a bystander, I reconsidered thinking you a selfish boy who had a violent temper.  What you took bravery and maturity to stand up to me, and to protect Charlie and me. I have misjudged you, Ray-san," grandfather beamed proudly," You have grown so responsible since you started making friends outside the military school. I have your friends to thank for my decision. You have certainly earned the right to be my heir, so long as you remain true to this arrangement. If your friend Stephen were here, I'd thank him too….but now its time for tea. Come Grandmother, and Charlie, lessons at 5 after you've cleaned the rest of the path."

            Ray just stood and stared at his grandparents, watching them tread away. He and Charlie looked at each other for a moment afterwards, still in shock for the suddenness and the reason, slowly pulling out of the ribbon. Charlie wrapped it up neatly and put it in her pocket. She smiled a little, a soft pink in her cheeks. "He asked me to be honest and all….so I was." She said softly, rubbing at her cheek.

            Ray nodded stiffly. "I guess…..sorry about all this. I know it's a shock and….well, not different, but….you know…." He tried, but then she smiled at him and patted his hands.

            "I'm not sorry anymore." She said with a cheerful giggle and ran back down the path.

            "How romantic." Martina tittered, clasping her hands together as if she was the one being romanced.

            "Oh shut up you…..You're Lady Venus, you came here for a reason, but how did you know we'd be here? And stop that mushy pose, you're making me ill." Ray snapped.

            She winked. "Oh all guys in love say that, just to deny it so they don't look soft and cute. –giggle- Yeah, I am Venus, and this is my friend Hina, my guardian cat. Hina went to your school and heard your Stephen and Jupiter talking before Stephen left the school. I was following him for a while till he burst out of the arcade and…kind'a…maybe lost him." She shrugged, walking up the steps to where the three knights stood. Cyrus sat at Ray's feet, looking at the amber cat intently.

            "Did you see where he was headed, Miss Martina?" Cyrus asked. Martina giggled and smiled at Cyrus. 

"Wow, another talking cat, cool. I hope you're not as naggy as Miss Prim Hina is. She is such an old lady sometimes, she even sasses me about my stellar wardrobe and keen shopping sense….and all the sweets and goodies I eat, and my comic books…..oh yeah, and how much time it takes me to pretty up in the bathroom and stuff.." The young lady counted off, wagging her finger at Hina. The cat looked annoyed and skittered up ahead of her. 

Ray felt a pinch of horror in his soul when he saw the girl's attire. She had on an almost knee length pink skirt and knee high white stockings with pink flat bottom shoes. Her shirt was something out of a tasteless abstract painting, pink and canary yellow angular shapes on her long sleeves while the front had a big pink heart dead center within more of the delicate yellow. He felt like he was looking at a human wearing fresh and playfully colored taffy clothing, something out a sugary nightmare.**

            'The insanity never ends, does it….now we have a total airhead with us to add to Stephen ditz land mind. Perfect…..what else could happen?' Ray thought, swallowing hard to control the geyser of bile that was threatening to peak out of his throat.

            Cyrus frowned a bit, as much as a cat could, and looked to Hina. "Is your attention span a little larger, I hope and pray?" he asked. Martina huffed and planted her hands on her hips, her nose scrunching up.

            "Yes, thankfully there's a brain between us. We saw him go into Tokyo Park with a dark haired young man. The youth had maroon attire on and was wearing sunglasses, and his voice was…a bit congested." Hina let out gently.

Ray nodded. "Sounds like ole Gary…..he's a close friend. What else, Hina?" 

The amber cat nodded and continued. "Stephen seemed to be in an awful hurry to get inside….then we decided to reveal ourselves to you, and see if we could help find him. While Martina was walking here, since apparently she's not made to sweat, I was running, and saw a dark cloud forming over Tokyo Tower. I believe it might where your friend is now….for the tower seemed to grow darker with every second we moved." Hina said softly.

            "Then we should go there now. Stephen and Gary might be in trouble." Lamont said. Angie nodded. "Yeah, we're a team, Kitty could have done something to make him go there….let's go!" Angie piped and started off quickly. Lamont nodded and began to go as well when Martina huffed. "Oh, silly running, I'm not wearing the right shoes for this….eeep!" she was saying, then Lamont hefted her over his shoulder.

            "Oh shut up and I'll do the running, you dizzy bimbo!" he growled and sped off. Ray shrugged and followed, the guardian cats at his heels. "I just had to ask, didn't I? Only more can happen if you ask….damn. He better be all right, silly meathead, going off alone. Stephen, you better be ok or I'll kick you ass." Ray uttered.

            Cyrus panted a bit and nodded. "Save it for Kitty. She's probably done something since she knows his true identity. He's the leader so in her mind he's the one Lord Specter wants the most. We had better hurry, Stephen is the only one that can banish the evil nature of possessed people. Without him, we might have to take innocent life trapped in the evil shells." 

            "Good point. But he still better be ok…." Ray breathed, running as fast as his legs could carry him along the sidewalk.__

**_                                                            ~ Tokyo Tower ~_**

****"Nnnghh…..ow….wha?" Stephen mumbled, feeling something cold and solid under him. His icy blue eyes opened with a light flutter as he pushed himself off of it, seeing it was a metallic tile floor. He groaned a bit, and got on his knees, setting his hand to the side when his head began to pound. "Ahh….eh?" he breathed, his eyes moving to what his hand had touched. It looked like vine, a big purple one with green veins, like it was alive. It pulsed in his hand. He snatched his hand away from it watching it squirm like a disturbed worm. "Oh puke….what the hell happened….oh gods, Kitty….Gary! Gary, where are you!!?" he called, scrambling to his feet.

            "Unnnghhh….here….what hit me?" Gary's softened voice replied a few feet away. Gary was laying on her back against a few of those disgusting vines. She pushed herself off them after she gave her head a decent shake. "Oh disgusting….gah!" Gary yelped and shot up, jogging over to Stephen with a squeamish look on her lips.

            "What happened? Where the hell are we?" Gary gagged, rubbing the back of her neck. Stephen looked around and saw row of windows across from them overlooking several busy and darkened streets of Tokyo. "The tower….we're inside Tokyo Tower, but what's happened to it?"

            "_Like you don't know, hahahaha!"_

_            Stephen flinched at the sound of Kitty's awful voice, sounding like she was all around and enjoying it. "Where are my sister and mother? What have you done to them!?" he shouted._

            "_Get to the elevator and you'll find out….if you can. There is sort of a time issue, pretty boy. AHAHAHAHAAAA!" Kitty cackled, her voice rising so much the room started to shake. Stephen felt something hit his shoulder lightly, then tumble off. He looked at it, and saw it was some loose pieces of stone. _

            His eyes lifted sharply to the cracking ceiling, thorns forming all over it like a virus, each one cracking around the rim. "RUN!" Stephen yelled, grabbing Gary's hand and speeding for the elevator as the first shattering thorn fell, stabbing through the floor. 'Shit, shit, shit, shit!!!!!!' his mind screamed, the door seeming within his reach, but the noise of falling stalactites growing every closer.

            "Oh gods, jump for it!" Gary shouted, and hurled herself and him hard as her feet pushed off. They said a moment before rolling across the floor into the well lit elevator. A final shattering stalactite fell right before the door before the elevator closed, and began to move upwards. 

            "Good thinking…man, what the hell?" Stephen gasped. The last thing he needed was to involve poor Gary in his strange fate. "What is she on about. I know that voice, she attacked you before, when she hurt me instead. What is her problem?" Gary panted, standing herself up, then turning towards the glass of the elevator.

            Stephen followed her actions, his eyes gazing out across Tokyo and Shiba park, many office buildings, and cars rolling down the streets. To them, this was just a storm, they weren't enlightened enough with the truth to know what was going on here. They were problem free, so long as Stephen and the Galaxy Knights protected them from what lurked in the shadows and the cold air. Kitty was dead serious now, involving Gary now without hesitation. She was beyond insane, and ten times as dangerous than her sister or brother.

            "It's a tricky subject. We just have to hope she's on another floor or change ours," Stephen offered, tapping at the buttons then went to pound them," Come on!"

            The buttons vanished the moment his fist made contact. "Shit….we're going up no matter what we do now….she's got it all rigged." Stephen groaned, and went back to the elevator window way.

            Gary just nodded absently, sighing to the starry sky. He could see her beautiful eyes, how troubled they looked, so sad and alone. He didn't want that, not now. Gary was too good a person to be sad.

            "What's wrong? Gary?" Stephen asked.

            "I don't really know who I really am, Stephen. It just occurred to me, we may die when we get up there, and I still don't know who I really am, if my name is really the right one."

"Why do you say that, you said the hospital told you who you were right?" Stephen replied. Gary shrugged, looking to the moon softly, the pregnant moon with a gentle smile. "Yes, but….I've always had this feeling I was someone else, but I can never really remember it. I barely remember the earthquake that took my parents from me. All I have left of them are shattered and sparse memories and…my pin, my rose pin, it's all I have left of them." She said, patting at her suit jacket's overturned lapel," I just wonder often, who I really am inside, and if I'll ever find what I am looking for."

'Sounds almost like what Glamour was talking about….nah, they couldn't be the same person. No way….' He thought, and patted Gary's shoulder. "You'll find it, you just have to have hope and believe in your actions. You'll know the truth someday, Gary….I'll even help." Stephen said softly.

Gary looked at him and let off a little smile. "Thanks….I used to thinking going it alone was all I needed, but….I still don't know everything after all this time. I'll consider it, ok?"

"Sure, but first we have to figure out how to escape the nut bar in white." Stephen chuckled, looking around a little.

"That too, Stephen, that too. "Gary sighed, and went back to looking at the moon. 'Hey, she called me Stephen….finally.' he thought grinning.__

**_                                                                  ~ Outside ~_**

****"We're here….holy shit, what's happened to the tower? "Lamont yelped, his gaze rising up it slowly. Angie and ray stopped just behind him, gasping sharply. The tower was almost organic looking, these strange purple vines with green lines in them blocking the doorway, wrapped all around the tower, giving it a ghastly, creaking form. Thorns of stone and metal were sticking out of the ones flat skin of the tower, the exterior coiled with the pulsing vines and the metal and cement portions as black as death. The windows were gaping jaws, blood drooling from every ghastly orifice, snarling and growling loudly every few moments. 

            The very top of it was a slightly obscured, but he could see something moving towards it on the front side. "Hey…Hey, I see an elevator running, look!" Lamont shouted, pointing up. Ray got beside him and squinted at it. "Its Stephen, I can see his hair from here….I guess Gary is with him….I can't be sure, but they're headed for the top," Ray said tentatively," We need to buy more spy stuff from that catalogue, like binoculars and cameras. Ah….I can't see them anymore, they're too high and getting higher. We have to get inside now."

            Lamont nodded. "Yeah, before Kitty gets her mice….Stephen can't transform with Gary around….let's do it."

            "Excellent, let's kick some Dark Universe butt." Martina cheered, jumping up high with her fist in the air.

            Angie groaned. "Try not to help right now, Martina, you're killing this for us." She drawled out. Martina sniffed and stuck her tongue out, then raised her red ring topped with a yellow heart to the sky. "**_Venus Love, Transform!_** Ahh!" Martina yelped, transforming into her knight form, her whip letting out a sharp crack when it was complete.

            Ray raised his ring with Angie, and then Lamont followed.

"**_Mars Fire, Transform!_**"

"**_Mercury Ice, Transform!_**"

"**_Jupiter Thunder, Transform!_**"

            Four knights together, Jupiter never would have believed they'd find so many knights to defend their country and the world in so little time. Time went by so fast when something important was happening, and exciting. Fun had nothing to do with it, but it helped. 

            "Now let's crash this party. **_Spiral Shocker, blast!!_**" he called, ramming his pole-arm against the ground. The cyclone of electricity rammed into the living vines. They let out a scree, some blasting away, but more were coming in to replace what Jupiter had destroyed. "Hurry, hit them at the same time! We can't give it a moment to heal! **_Spiral Shocker!!_**" Jupiter shouted, getting nods from the others as his attack tore into the new vines.

"**_Icicle Daggers, freeze!_**" Mercury crowed, the shards of ice ramming into what they could and made many of the vines bleed then freeze before exploding from the pressure.

"**_Raging Hell Fire, BURN!_**" Mars shouted, the balls of fire laying waste to more, making them shriek and flail in utter agony of Mars' power.**__**

"**_Flirtation Choker, encircle!_**" Venus shouted, her whip wrapping around a bunch, tearing them apart, black liquids staining the pavement. "Run in now! While it injured! We have to get to the top!" Jupiter cried out and darted into the dark entrance, Mars and Mercury followed. Venus came last, letting her attack out a final time so the cats could follow.

The entrance sealed up behind them quickly, and the vines pried themselves off the walls, shrieking for the blood of the knights. Jupiter almost missed Raven, almost. She hadn't gone too all out except in homicides. Now the very tower was after them, and not just the pulsing purple vines, now vines were being created from the very supports and walls, metal and stone lunging at them. "HEAD FOR THE STAIRS! Quickly!!" Jupiter cried out, back flipping away from a stone vine. It crashed through the floor, and ripped itself out of it. It wanted Jupiter dead and wouldn't let the floor or one miss stop it. 

"You wanna play? Let's play…." He hissed, and jumped over it again, landing on its wavy form," Sorry tower, but its you, or me, **_Spiral Shocker!!_**"

His power flushed out towards the source of the vine, the walls itself. The vine fell, taking him down with him, but Jupiter was able to leap away and follow his friend into the stairwell. He hoped that the damage would be repaired, but a vine couldn't come out of no wall.

"**_Icicle Daggers!_** Taste pain, no one takes my Snowflake from me! Hah!" Mercury shouted and new vines began to follow them up the stairs. It would be quite the trip, but for their friends, they'd have to. Stephen and Gary could be in real danger, more than them, and Stephen couldn't transform without putting Gary at more risk.

Jupiter just kept running, letting his power out as the others were as they all fought their way up the long stairwell. They had to make it or their friends would never survive. 'We're coming Stephen, we're coming." He thought, then suddenly felt the ground vanish from under his feet.

"Oh shit, we're not coming! Ah!" Jupiter screamed. The vines were tearing the stairs beneath them away, and he was standing on one of them. He felt himself fall a bit, before his hands shot out for the broken ledge. Mars and Venus came back while Mercury kept shooting ahead. He held no grudge against that, she'd be able to help Stephen, and they'd all catch up with her.

Mars pulled him back onto the steps as a vine viciously passed under him. It would have cut him in half if they hadn't come back. Venus' whip shot out and lashed it in half. "You ok, Jupiter?" Mars asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, let's go, faster…eh, and no more stair problems." He let out with a grin, and they all dashed anew up the shaking stairwell.__

**_                                                                ~ Elevator ~_**

****The elevator shook violently, ramming Stephen and Gary into the side of the elevator. "What?" Gary gasped, pressing herself to the glass quickly to try and look up, Stephen followed her actions, his eye widening with horror. Rays of dark energy were crashing at the elevator cables. They were nearly there and they were being attacked. 'Damn you Kitty! You coward!' he thought and tried to pry the doors open.

            "Dammit, they're stuck tight!"

            "Oh gods, she's going to drop it. That psycho! How are we going to get out!?" Gary said frantically.

            Stephen looked up again, the elevator jerking again as another ball of energy hit closer, then another even closer. 'Not dropping us, she's going to blow us up….gods, we have to get out of here, but Gary, she'll know my secret. ' his mind raced.

            He couldn't involve her, but if he didn't, they'd die and his crystals would be Kitty's anyway. The world would suffer after their tragic fate for his hesitation. "Life is all that's important. I won't let her kill anyone else!" Stephen said allowed, pulling out his pendant and raising it high.

            "What? Stephen, what are you talking about?" Gary asked quickly, pressed to the elevator doors. "Kitty's hurt this world for the last time, I won't have it. **_Moon Sword, Transform!! AHH!_**" he shouted, the pendant glowing and drenching him in light before Gary's startled eyes.

            "Oh my gods….Stephen is….the Moon Knight!" Gary's shocked voice rang out as the final spheres of dark energy came screaming at the elevator itself.

_                                                            **~ Top of the Tower ~**_

            Kitty giggle softly, filing her nails gently as the explosion of the elevator reached her tender ears. "Oopsie, the elevator went boom. Kitty is embarrassed, what a terrible accident. Oh well, Kitty will just collect Moon Knight's crystals and leech off Lord Specter some more. No crystals if he tries anything now….heh, heh." Kitty giggled.

            "No fucking way, cat bitch!" Moon Knight's voice rang out, making her nail file skew a but, cutting her knuckles a bit. She hissed and throw it down, glaring towards the voice. He jumped out of the smoky passage the elevator was once within, holding that young dark-haired boy to his side securely.

            The Moon Knight set him down, his sword out and his other hand with the crystals inside. "This was supposed to be a fair trade for my mother and sister, no cheating or you get crap." Moon scowled, looking around for his family.

            Kitty grinned. "Well, pooh, Kitty didn't do a thing, it was a simple accident." She cooed, and pointed off to the right," Kitty wouldn't break her promises."

            'Why is he still alive, dammit. Kitty wants him spewing blood now!!' she thought angrily. To her right were Stephen's 'mother and sister.' Moon Knight was as sappy as she knew he'd be, falling for her tricks. If he had recalled that she had made the Dark Universe Knights, he'd know these two were fakes, genetically altered animals made to look like his family. Why bother with such boring things, she'd have killed the real things out of spite, so it was better to use these, but he didn't know that, apparently.

            "Now…hand over the crystals….and whoever wins the fight, well, lives." She grinned, and held out her ugly hand. He sniffed. "Fine…." He said, and started to toss them to her, when that dark young man stopped him. "Don't it's a trick!" the man let out.

            "Gary please, my mother and sister, those are them she'll kill them if I don't. How could you know anyway?" he asked.

            Gary flipped up his lapel and his rose pin shimmered softly. "Cause I know….I feel it. They're fakes, clones, like the Dark Knights."

            Kitty flinched a bit. How did this boy know about the Dark Knights were clones. The earth people called them monsters, clones never came into the discussions of those weak creatures. Moon seemed surprised as well. "How…how do you know that?" Moon uttered.

            Gary stepped back a bit, and pulled his glove off, letting his slender hand touch the pin softly. "Because I was there….**_Earth Bloom, Transform! _**Oh!" he said in a woman's voice, and red surrounded his body. 

Kitty shielded her eyes a moment, then her face welled up with rage at the sight of Lady Glamour. That bitch was hard to find because she dressed up like a man all this time, Glamour had been at her fingertips to kill so many weeks ago and she let it escape her. Not this time, no way. Glamour was going to die tonight, with her stupid Moon Knight.

Kitty hissed as Glamour went over to Stephen's fake family, her blade out, and cut the fake mother's arm. The tied up creature became a chameleon woman as the blood began to flow, and when the fake girl was cut, she became a devilish bird imp. Moon growled at Kitty, but Kitty's own hisses and growls were surpassing his. Her plans were ruined now.

"Well….goodie for you. Kitty still knows who you both are and will tell Lord Specter, unless you fight Kitty….fair too. If you want to change that, you fight me fair and square….with the crystals as the prize. There is no escape from the tower unless Kitty dies, or both of you die. Kitty will just leave you here to rot of you refuse."

Moon looked at Glamour, and she looked back at him, and walked back. "You give your word, winner take all?" Glamour said sharply. Kitty nodded, looking sick about the word 'fair.'

Moon nodded a bit. "Fine, winner take all, but if you try anything, you'll regret it." He said and set his crystals down. Glamour nodded and glared at Kitty. "Same goes for me, little miss kitty brat, you'll never get the soul crystal." She spouted, making Kitty sick from her just words.

                                                            ~

Glamour set her crystals down by Moon's, and they glittered together. "Xeno, Kitty has the crystals, come….now." she crowed. Moon and Glamour stared at her until Xeno appeared beside her with the velvet bedded case in his hands. Their crystals floated off the ground and inserted themselves with those the Dark Universe already had, Xeno smirking at them lightly before disappearing again.

"What is this? Where did he take the crystals, Kitty!" Glamour yelled. She had taken enough abuse, nearly dying twice at Kitty's hideous grip, now the crystals were out of their sights. That wasn't part of the deal.

"Insurance….so you don't try and cut and run with the prize in the middle of our duel. Kitty would be," she said, her eyes flitting a bit around Glamour, then back again to Glamour's face," Hurt if you started acting unfair when Kitty is being perfectly fair."

Glamour rolled her eyes and readied her blade. "I'm sure….now any last words before we beat the living daylights out of you?" she shot back.

Kitty grinned, and flipped her horrible hand up a bit, aiming it right at Glamour, though nothing came out. She heard a slight shift of something metal, but figured it was her boots, and kept her stance.

"You can die….right now!" Kitty cackled.

"GLAMOUR!! Look out!!" Moon shouted and ran at her. The metal noise came again and she forced her body to whirl around. A arm length shard of metal was shooting towards her, deadly sharp and moments away. They and flash of white came into her gaze, something warm and solid, shoving into her, shoving her down, then came the warm spatter across her front and finally a pain in her stomach. It burned like hellfire, so she felt dizzy as she fell.

It faded, but the pain remained, so she opened her eyes to see why. Her eyes watered terribly, Stephen laying partially across her lap, the metal thing sticking out the right side of his back. It had gone through him and as her eyes traveled further down, she saw the rest of it was in her stomach, attaching them in blood and steel, in pain. 'Death….oh….Oh no, Stephen!' her mind wept.

Kitty was laughing at them wildly, she'd cheated, and that awful little bitch had remained true to her evil nature and cheated. Glamour had been her target, but Moon Knight had seen it in time to get in the way, and now they would die together.

The shard melted away, leaving the bleeding holes in them. She could feel herself get light headed, but she didn't want to give up. She forced herself to painfully sit up, turning Stephen over gently so the back of his head was in her lap. The bleeding was getting worse, his eyes were lidded weakly, and they were going to die all because of Kitty. She'd get the last laugh. 

'No, I won't let it be…. No! She can't win! Not him, anyone but him….so much I wanted to tell you….so much….'she thought painfully.

_Deep in my soul   
Love so strong   
It takes control. _

            "Stephen, please, hold on….please….," she let out, here eyes watering badly, stroking his hair as if it would make it feel any better," Please, Stephen don't die, please….I never got to tell you….how I felt."

            "Gaia….," he let out weakling, his icy blue eyes growing paler, his skin even more so," Me too….-cough – cough – I have to….tell you….how I felt….about all of you. Now I know….you're the….woman I love….all this time, I loved you….since we met in my first battle…cough…..Gaia….I love you…..Nngh…ah it hurts….I don't want to die….I can't let it end, not when I've fallen in love. Not….ah…" 

_Now we both know   
The secrets bared   
the feelings show. _

            Gaia shook her head. "Oh…Stephen, I tried to deny how I felt when we met in the arcade….but your eyes…oh gods, this can't be happening. You have to be all right, you can't leave me now….please….I love you, Stephen." She said, her eyes threatening to spill her sorrow.

_Driven far apart,_

_I'll make a wish_

_On a shooting star…._

She felt his cool hand weakly grip hers, his eyes watching her softly with a weak smile, his eyes lidding worse. "You…do? I'm…not alone….you feel the same?….Gaia…." he let out breathlessly, tears streaming down his elegant face

_There will come a day,_

_Somewhere far away_

_In your arms I'll stay_

_My only love…._

_            "Yes….I do….we'll be together, just, be ok….don't go, please!" she begged and her first tear fell and mixed with his. The tears began to shine on his cheek, and hers shined back brightly._

_Even though you're gone   
Love will still live on   
The feeling is so strong   
My only love…._

_                                                                        **~ The Dark Universe ~**_

            Xeno had enough to hang Kitty with. She had tried to kill the two people instead of draining them, and had now tried again. He had faded out once the blood came, but now, all he had to do was wait.

            As he smirked to himself, the crystals suddenly began to glow and rose up from their velvet bedding. He gasped softly as they sparkled and flew away from him, vanishing into the darkness.

            "What….Lord Specter must hear of this…." He told himself, and vanished.

                                                            **_~ Top of the Tower ~_**

            Mars slammed his shoulder into the top door, and it caved in quickly. No sooner had he burst in did he see Glamour and Moon lying on the floor, their tears sparkling with the blood, the smell of it ripe in the air. Kitty was a ways off, grinning madly over her deed. Mars heart broke, Stephen was dying, and so was Glamour. They'd come too late.

            Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury came up beside him, gasping sharply at the tragic scene. "Oh no….Snowflake, oh no." Mercury yelped, clutching her heart. Tears began to leak out of her mask piece, trickling down her cheeks. 

            Jupiter looked sick, rubbing at his own tears and Venus was shivering. The cats were at her feet, looking horrified. "Moon Knight! Glamour, oh gods,…..we're too…..late?" Cyrus started, then his jaw went slack. Mars blinked back a few of own tears as a brilliant silver and golden light grazed his vision.

_...You've reached the deepest part   
Of the secret in my heart   
I've known it from the start   
My only love... _

            Glamour's head flung back suddenly as her tears flowed faster than her blood. Her chest began to glow a golden haze, and Moon's began to glow silver, his teeth grit tightly as his own blood pooled around his body. "What the….," he said softly, watching the glowing lights become crystals. They floated above the pair's heads, the Spectrum crystals streaming out of the shadows of the ceiling. He watched the rainbows glitters float into the merging gold and silver crystal until they were gone and the remaining two became one.

            A brilliant light came, and caressed across their dying friends' bodies, making them near vanish into the blinding glow. Mars looked away a moment when it flashed out, stinging his very eyes.

_There will come a day   
Somewhere far away   
In your arms I'll stay   
My only love._

            "It's the soul crystal!" Hina cried out, then she made a yelping sound. Mars looked back saw Stephen and Glamour, but not as he knew them. The Soul Crystal, a brilliant white, hand sized gem, floated above the two, but Glamour was now dressed in a long and flowing, sleeveless black dress that sparkled like the night sky with rose print running along the hem and collars, a golden crown of roses about her beautiful head, her sword raised up, crossed over Stephen's.

Stephen, and even mars had to admit it, was an angelic beauty before him. Stephen wore an elegant open, sleeveless robe with silver lining, and white and silver chest armor under it. His pants were that of royalty, with white calf high boots with silver lining upon his feet and atop his head was a silver diadem just above the silver moon symbol on his forehead.

            He was gripping Glamour's hand, his free hand with his sword crossed along Glamour', the Soul Crystal just above the small half triangle their blades had formed. Their gaze was on one thing, Kitty. Together as one, they were alive, standing in their own shed blood, their soft angelic eyes.

            Kitty hissed at them, as if her victory mattered the most, that her foolish pride needed mending. "What!? Who the hell are you? You're supposed to be dead, what have you done! Kitty killed you!" she hissed out, her fists clenched. The Soul Crystal began to glow, no answer leaving its keepers' lips.

 "My gods, Stephen and Glamour are the Prince and princess!" Cyrus yelped before a pain took him as well, and all Mars could do was gaze at his friends. "Stephen's a prince…. one we have been searching was right under our nose…gods." He uttered softly, watching as Kitty was right now, wondering what would happen now that they'd finally found the royals they had been so avidly trying to find.

_...You've reached the deepest part   
Of the secret in my heart   
I've known it from the start   
My only love... _

_My only love.……._

_                                                               **To Be Continued….**_

*1.Martina 2.Keikoku means 1.Who loves all (or warlike) 2. beauty, you decide what fits her best

**Venus is a joke character, a personal joke against the blonde jokes and the character Serena, who is a major airhead and a crybaby that makes blondes look bad. Venus is not made as a joke against blondes, but against the blonde myths and Serena herself. Not all blondes are airheads, just like not all brunettes are airheads, and redheads, dark hairs, and men of similar shades. It's all in a personality, not hair color. No, I am not blonde, just trying to set the stereotypical record straight here about hair color myths. __

**_Extra Info:_** 4-2 Shiba Koen, Minato-Ku, Tokyo   
Tel: +81 3 3433 5111;_ Tokyo tower address, overlooks Shiba Park._

**_Correction Alert!!:_**_ Also, if I got Gary/Gaia's family pin shape wrong, someone let me know so I can correct it cause I forget where I introduced it, or if it were a rose or a globe. Sorry, I worked on this chapter with an upset stomach and headache last night. Being sick while writing isn't peachy!_

**_Teaser: _**_The Moon Prince and Earth Princess revealed, and they discover their past, how they met, fell in love, and the tragedy of their secret love and the Moon Kingdom. Life will never be the same for Gaia or Stephen._

_From good to worse, Xeno will see who Gary really is._


	22. Ch 22: Matter of the Souls

_Disclaimer: __I do not own anything of __Sailor Moon. __Yes, this chapter took me many, many months to complete, but at last it is. This is the romantic and tragic chapter of the Silver Millennium. There will be some sexual connotations, lime themes, blood, and partial nudity, so everyone knows.  _

_Chapter 22_

**_                   Matter of the Souls_**

_                                            **~ Tokyo Tower ~**_

"My gods, Stephen and Glamour are the Prince and princess!" Cyrus yelped before a pain took him as well, and all Mars could do was gaze at his friends. "Stephen's a prince…. one we have been searching was right under our nose…gods." Mars uttered softly.

Kitty hissed at the glowing pair, her claws flexing at her sides. The prince and princess stood perfectly still in her dark gaze, their eyes full of passive thoughtfulness. Then they looked up at the crystal and it glowed softly.  It flashed subtly, and the prince and princess became a silver and golden ball of light. The Soul Crystal pulled them inside and then fell to the ground, barely moving an inch as it struck the tiles. Kitty's eyes lit up greedily and her body moved into a crouch.

"All this time….Kitty had the prince of the moon and the princess of the earth at Kitty's claws. Now Kitty will take the Soul Crystal then destroy you for what you did to Kitty!! You can't stop Kitty now!" she screeched and leapt at then, her eyes flaring with rage and hatred.

As Kitty screamed wildly suddenly, her claws shimmering with razor sharp violence to grab the crystal, only to meet with a silver beam of light. She howled as her body was destroyed by the crystal's blessed attack. When the light was gone, all that remained of Kitty were white flurries of fur rising out a window into the sky to oblivion. The crystal remained untouched, settled gently upon the ruined tiles as if innocent of the attack. 

Jupiter Knight breathed out slowly, his eyes on the crystal. "He…the prince…all this time, right in front of our faces. The prince was right there….and Glamour….was the princess. Too trippy." He said quietly.

Mars nodded, his eyes also captivated by the small round crystal. It put diamonds to shame, sparkling like a star in the sky, yet as simple and tiny as an egg. Something so small was so important, and Glamour and Moon were inside, but why now? How did they thwart their own deaths? 'Just how powerful is that crystal….huh?' he thought, catching a glint of silver in the corner of his eye.

Mercury started forward. "Snowflake….we have to get him out of there. Ah!" she began, but a silver slip of light made her halt her movements. Mars looked quickly as the slip of silver light flipped and rolled back from where it came, in the hands of a man that looked like a creamy skinned cyber punk. His silvery white hair shimmered in the dull light, the purple and blue streaks like jeweled paint. There was a painted blue star over his left eye and his attire was almost like armored silk. There was a solid piece of armor upon his left shoulder with spikes jutting out, and his silvery boots were tightly kept together. He didn't look as flashy in personality as his clothes. He looked like he didn't feel anything.

"Who are you?" Mars hissed, aiming his sword at the man. The man didn't even give Mars the courtesy of an eyebrow raise, those lavender eyes shifting towards the crystal. "You won't need to remember it, you'll be dead soon." He said coldly, walking for the jewel calmly.

Mars hissed and rushed him. The silver haired man barely gave him a glance. With a flick of his wrist, a silver shard of light shot at Mars. The Knight dodged to the side. The silver shard sliced his arm deeply, warmth and redness leaking from his wound. "Ah…"he yelped, grabbing his arm. 

The man kept walking as Mars growled, then Mercury attacked. "Mercury no!" he shouted, but she kept going. The man threw another silver light shard, but mercury jumped right over it. "**_Icicle Daggers! Freeze him dead!_**" she shouted, slashing her sword in mid air. The shard of cold flew at the man's back at lightening speed, but moments from impact he whirled around and a swish of silver shattered her attack. She landed in shock.

He held a long blade, a masame from what Mars knew of swords, with a bone hilt of black. "How….no one deflects our attacks!!" She yelled.

The man seemed not to care for her hysterical reply, pointing the blade at her. "Since you insist on ending you existence now, I shall oblige you, Galaxy Knights. Perhaps you would have suffered less if you had simply run away." He sniffed and held his blade high.

"I don't think so, Dark Knight!" Cyrus shouted. Mars blinks and a dark shape leapt over the man and landed neatly between the knights on all fours. It was a young man with long silken black hair. Mars blinked softly, the crystal was in the young man's mouth and he had an odd moon shaped tattoo on his forehead. He was dressed all in black medieval clothing, silver claw gauntlets on his hands. 

The man snorted roughly. "Then you die too." He glowered, his sword glowing. "_Time to leave. **Moon Gate!**_" Hina's voice cried out. Mars just kept his eyes on the man as his silvery white hair began to billow and swirl, silver tendrils of flame moving about his stoic form.

Mars just watched, barely aware of the golden sparkles of light showering him or the others. The man's eyes slit sharply, his mouth opening to call up his deadly powers as he whirl, arching his sword for them. "**_Silver Fang_** **_Reaper!_**" he shouted, sharp silver lights in the shape of hellish jaws ripping towards them, shattering the floor in its charge. Mars shut his eyes tightly, explosions ringing in his ears, but without pain. 'Killed me instantly…how nice…' he thought. 

WHAP!

"Ray…open your damn eyes, we're in your room!" Mercury let out. Mars yelped and glared at her, but she was right, they were alive and in his bedroom, the boy in black on the bed sitting as if he were an animal and a young woman with amber colored hair in a pale yellow sundress. She had the same gauntlets, only golden.  Mars de-transformed, Mercury, Jupiter and Venus following his lead. He walked up to the pain and stared right into the young man's golden eyes. "Cyrus?" he asked. The young man blinked and nodded. 

"How'd you …change?"

Cyrus looked puzzled. Ray shook his head and grabbed up one of Cyrus' gauntlet donned hands and held it in front of his face. Cyrus blinked softly, the crystal glowing inside his mouth a moment. He blinked again and then sat normally. Spitting the crystal into his hand. "I was human once….of the Neko clan, we both were….Hina and I are brother and sister." Cyrus breathed softly, his lips quivering softly as if waking from a long nightmare.

Hina nodded. "Its all coming back, the fall of the kingdom….our parents were murdered with the Moon Kingdom. We were vassals to Prince Thoth* and his father King Jericho**, and body guards."

Angela sat on the floor, Martina already in a chair. Lamont popped a stick of gum in his mouth and leaned against the wall. Ray sighed softly and sat beside Angel quietly. "Tell us everything…were we royalty too then?" Angela asked, eagerness filling her voice. 'Thinking about Stephen again….doesn't she get it he's not attracted to her….but Glamour, whoever she is.' He thought, frowning a bit.

Cyrus sat at the foot of the bed while Hina sat on Ray's pillow. They faced each other as Cyrus places the shimmering jewel upon the quilt. "You and Martina were royalty of your planets."

"We ruled planets too…?!" Ray yelped.

Cyrus nodded. "Not you Ray, though nothing remains, only dust on all of the worlds and the moon. You and Lamont were warriors who guarded a princes and princess with their lives. Though she sent Lamont to the moon to aid in keeping the power the Dark Universe sought safe….his princess perished, as did the knights and royalty of the outer planets. Knights we have not yet begun to locate. The Dark Universe sought the power of the Soul Crystal that King Jericho possessed."

Hina sighed. "Right now, the prince and princess, Thoth and Alexia, are now reliving the story that we can only tell you what we know from our point of view. It lacks a happy ending, though we do not know why Princess Alexia*** gained part of the crystal, why she died with Prince Thoth. Please…listen to our story which began during the great peace of the universe….the Silver Millennium." She said softly, the crystal shimmering softly.

**_Author's Note: _**_This section needs a little explaining as it is both Cyrus and Hina telling the tale and also Gaia and Stephen reliving their memories. _

_These will surround Cyrus and Hina's Point Of View _*………*       

_Stephen and Gaia's POV will be written like I normally write. _

_I hope this doesn't confuse anyone and that this helps give a better understanding of my remake of the Silver Millennium and the tragic love of the Prince and Princess. Also, there will be lime themes towards the end of the story of the past. Thank you.           _

**_~ The Silver Millennium ~_**

**_                                                - The Moon Kingdom -_**

*"The Silver Millennium was a time of great peace and prosperity….all the planets in the universe were in celebration through the treaties drawn up for such. Thanks to the bravery of the Queen of Earth, *^Adamina, and the Moon King Jericho, the Dark Universe Lord Specter was banished to the far and dark reaches of space. He had tried to steal the Queen's powers as well as Jericho's to rule all universes….but we had no idea the Dark Goddess would bring him back to undo all the good they had when they were teenagers. She had fallen from a dark portal near the sun and moved Specter to become what he is, a pure monster. She and he lusted to snuff out all goodness and take what was of this universe.*

*As he gained in strength, creating more monsters and the Dark Goddess was gaining in power as time passed, the peace was troubled. The people of Earth and the Moon grew distrustful of each other, blaming one another for Specter's existence remaining. King Jericho decided his only son had to quell the fears and anger of the people by bringing them a great happiness….wedding a princess. What better way to make people happy, it was a joyous day for us to hear in planning, but the Prince….was reluctant.*

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE NINE HELLS DID YOU SAY!" Thoth screamed, his eyes wide with anger and betrayal. The king looked upon his son from his throne, the Soul Crystal round his neck. His long white hair hung over the arms of the chair, a face of true beauty and kindness, living for the people always. He wore all white, like a medieval knight, the chest armor glistening pearly white, the golden moon symbol on the chest as well as his forehead.

"I said I am betrothing you to the Princess of Mercury, Yuki….you are old enough to be wed and it would ease the people's fears if they saw such a joyous occasion, my son." His light and soft voice uttered.

Sir Cyrus looked displeased with the prince's discourteous remarks, as did Lady Hina, but they held their tongues. They never questioned their lords, no matter what was said. Prince Thoth hissed out a breath. "How can you do this, marry me off to…to that braggart!?? She's nothing more than a boisterous warrior who likes to fight. That's not love, that's a bandage!! And a poor one at that! Don't I get a choice? You just up and promise me to whoever you please….behind my back, Father?! I will not stand for such an atrocity! I do not want to marry her!" He shouted, his white and silver clothes shifting. The golden moon symbol on his forehead glowed brightly, but no attacks came.

"The party welcoming the delegates of the Universal Council, and your bride to be is tonight.  I suggest you improve your manners. I have a lot to deal with….Please Thoth….for my sake….and the sake of the people….don't misbehave." Jericho let out softly.

Thoth hissed out a breath and turns sharply on his boots, growling. "Always for you and the people, when can I choose my life!? When?!!" he shouted and stormed away. Cyrus sighed, sweating a little. "That went….well…." he said quietly.

Jericho stood up, rubbing the crystal. "I wish he could understand. I want him to marry for love, but….the people press us so. Life as a prince is hard…I know. I was one before he….and I grew to love the woman I wed….even though….with the gift of my son, I lost her. In time, he will love her," Jericho uttered gently, looking to the ceiling a moment," But I must keep him distracted from the coming threat of Specter. My son must not be forced into battle, he's too young…"

"Yes, my king." Cyrus nodded.

"Yes your highness" Hina answered.

Jericho gave a melancholy smile and walked away. "I will be in my quarters talking to Queen Alexia, see to it that we are not disturbed until the engagement party, yes Cyrus?"

Cyrus nodded, standing stuff and tall. "Yes sire. It will be done."

"And Hina….keep an eye on Thoth. I don't want him running off to Earth again. Alexia's people might see him there and think him a spy again."

She nodded. "Yes…Cyrus and I did not enjoy fighting off civilians and guards alike because he had to see the red roses again."

The king chuckled softly and nodded. "All right, may the Soul Crystal light shine on the universe this night. We sincerely need it."

                                                            ~

*Hina and I followed our orders, as we always did, ever faithful. The Prince simply was too angry with us all to do much of anything but sit on his balcony and stare at the Earth. He sincerely loved running off to it, exploring. Ever since he was a child, he would go thee and see all the colors there. His favorite was red, the roses that were near the Queen's palace. They literally surrounded the palace with passionate red and lush green. He would never pick them, only touch and smell, admiring their beauty.*

*He never ventured farther, but the guards and people soon took offence to it when rumors of Specter's rise in activity surfaced. They thought he was a spy, as the Moon People always remained on their world, content with it. Thoth was bored with the Moon, and desired the colors of Earth, the smells, and tastes. If ever our backs were turned, he would go there. He was so impulsive and romanticizing over it.*

*When the engagement part began, all was wonderful. The food was the finest any of us had ever seen, brought from all the inner planets. The Knight of Jupiter was called Nariko$ and was, as always, sneaking bites and trying to remain stoic. His princess remained behind instead of him, why, we never found out. The Knight of Mars Pirro% was telling of how his soldiers would send the darkness back to the blazes it came from. The Venus Princess Freya$% was steadily turning every head with her lovely face and heart. The Princess of Mercury, Yuki#$, was fashionably late. A warrior princess, she was, and very proud, even so proud as to boast against Mars' abilities to battle evil. *

*Our prince did not mind nearly as much as our king did. He sipped wine most of the night, from the same glass poured from the beginning. He looked terribly bored, then another guest arrived, the Princess of Earth, Alexia.*

Thoth looked up softly as the trumpets sounded by the doors of the ballroom. He sorely wanted to leave out the doors nearby that led to the garden. White roses, always white and colorless, that is what the gardens of the palace contained. It was just endless white roses, as endless as the stars, but without their brilliance or life. Only the red roses of Earth were the most perfect roses. Sadly, his father and the Earth folk would not permit them n the moon. So he, as endless as the white roses, endlessly ran to the Earth to admire them.

His heart sunk as the boisterous Princess Yuki of Mercury entered, wearing a flowing lavender blue gown. She was beautiful, that was true, but she was a brute and braggart. He knew all the stories about her, the warrior princess who was admired highly by all for her strength and beauty, for her planet's tolerance of the others, and for her open mind. 

He felt thoroughly sick, his heart shrinking like a raisin, as he felt no love for her. She moved to greet his father, moving away from the door. He was about to look away when a new figure stepped in. His heart skipped a beat as the dark sparkling figure of a beautiful woman stepped in. Her hair was long, lustrous and black, eyes so blue and cherished as the sky, and the figure of an angel in a lovely sparkling, black sleeveless dress.

Thoth's grip on his goblet tightened a moment as she strode in elegantly, a choker about her pale, smooth neck. It was clasped together by a carved and colored opal, almost like Earth itself. Her eyes were scanning the room as he was watching her, then their eyes met suddenly. He froze, unable to look away, his lips parted softly. Her eyes shimmered a moment, and shut, then opened slowly, a small smile upon her ruby lips. "Alexia…come on, let us both greet his majesty Jericho. Its rude to dawdle like you are." Yuki said proudly, tutting the woman called Alexia.

Alexia blinks softly and looked to Yuki, then moved to her, red rose held neatly between her fingers. He flushed softly, his eyes ever present on her. She was right near Princess Yuki, so his father and those bothersome vassals would think he was looking at her, not Alexia. Something in her eyes screamed to his heart. 

Yuki looked up as his father was pointing him out, and he never saw the hungry grin, or even her approach. He felt her cold scent wash over him, the roses in his eyes wilting. He blinked, looking startled and annoyed, then the frost queen grinned. "So you're going to marry me, hmm? I like what I see." She purred, rubbing his chin with her fingers. He gasped a bit and tugged his chin to the side.

It didn't even daunt her. Her arms slowly wrapped about his neck, tightly. "Mmmmm, like a unique snowflake. You are most beautiful…and I hear you're quite fancy with a blade. We will have to duel a lot….aggressiveness keeps the crystals of love shimmering, my Snowflake…." She uttered evenly, knowing what she wanted. Her entire presence spoke a woman used to earning things through hard work and battle. No one was he equal unless they could defeat her, and she had none. 

Thoth opened his mouth to dismiss her, but his father gave him a quick glare, and the prince sighed. "Yes….I….will be marrying you, Princess Yuki." He said as softly as possible, his eyes darting from side to side, looking for Alexia. He could not find her anywhere, his heart falling deathly fast. 'Perhaps later…we can talk….it would be nice to know this princess of earth as she comes from a planet nearly as beautiful as she.' He thought softly, holding back a gag as Yuki snuggled his neck.

Yuki never released his right arm the entire time, holding it tightly, announcing to everyone she would be his wife and he her husband. She emphasized the word my loudly when saying," MY husband," and "MY prince" and "MY Snowflake" so much felt like she was staking a claim on valuable property. He tried numerous times to disentangle his clenched arm from her, never succeeding as she'd snuggle more and talk about battle. He could have cared less to battle others. All he truly wanted was to be happy, to have those roses in his eyes always#, but all he had now was a barnacle in a party dress bragging and dragging him about.

A miracle came when she had to excuse herself to the powder room, asking him to wait. He nodded, and ran off the moment she was gone, ran for the gardens of white roses to hide from this nightmare that was fate. 'I will not marry that…I refuse to. She's so boorish, and rude, and possessive. I could never love such a person, there's no love in fighting for the sake of fighting. That's….barbarism. There's no beauty in a fight….no love in her except for battle. Father…why….why her?' he thought sadly, running faster through the gardens.

His feet hurt after a while, carrying him through the white and slate gray sparkle of the garden. He couldn't hear the party anymore and it made him somewhat happy. Thoth stopped running as he reached the gazebo of pearl. It had been built for his mother, a woman without a face for him. She left when he was born, not by choice, but all he knew of her was an unfinished portrait, where there was no face. Father would touch that painting at times, a longing in his eyes he showed no one else. He would say how beautiful the blonde maiden was. His mother was noblewoman from Mercury as well. It was tradition, Thoth supposed. In his anger, he looked through the family tree to see how many arranged marriages there were.

His heart had shattered when he found out that every royal family of the Moon Kingdom had wed a Mercurian Royal and always with different families, though the moon family was always the same. Mercury was a world of regal soldiers, so they all had the blood and status to be worthy of a royal wedding. It disgusted him, even though father and mother had grown to love each other. His father's pining of the painting proved as much. The man was always sad if Thoth was behaving, and had barely offered a smile when Thoth became an adolescent.

From the tales he was told as a child of her kindness and beauty by Cyrus and Hina during his lessons, he didn't doubt she was special to father, but Yuki was a pain. Tradition or no, he wouldn't accept it. He would not give her children, he would make them regret it. But still, he would be trapped in a sham, an utter lie to benefit the people. Why did royalty have to always make them happy, couldn't they make happiness in their hearts on their own. Did they need a beacon of hope always guiding them like lost children? It wasn't right, that he had to give up his free will, because they had none?

            He sighed heavily and took a step when he heard a soft rustling in the bushes. He quickly took out his blade in defense. Fighting to protect yourself was better than for the hell of it. "Who goes there?" he called.

            The person stepped out, his breath almost suffocating his mind. It was Princess Alexia, her sparkling night sky dress pouring out from behind the white roses. She looked apologetic, bowing her head softly. "I apologize, Prince Thoth, I did not mean to be rude, but I rather grow tired of parties where I cannot dance with anyone. The air seems too thick and dead….personally, when you don't quite know what to do at a gathering. I did not mean to insult your generous gathering." She said softly, her voice silvery sweet. His mouth grew dry, the life leaving him to be closer to her.

            "Prince Thoth?" her voice chimed softly. He shook his head, his voice regaining itself. "Oh…I do not mind you exploring the gardens. Actually, I was rather bored myself….I'm not much for parties really. I can….barely keep up with the gossip that flows so easily there. I would much rather….admire the roses….of your Earth, Princess." He said gently.

            "My Mother's Earth, I am but her daughter until she passes on to be with my Father," she said softly, looking to the roses smooth and swift," They sparkle with so much purity, your roses. I have never seen a white rose till I came here. I have seen the frozen crystal gardens of mercury, and the storm blossoms that crackle and shine for the people of Jupiter and its moons, even the delicate golden flowers of Venus, but never something that shines so bright as the Moon Roses."

            He smiled a bit, walking up beside her. "Thank you…I don't look much at them anymore. I grew up running through here as a lad. The roses about your palace hold far greater interest to me. Such colors I never saw till I ventured to Earth, so curious about the colorful world you reside on. I envy it for being such a beautiful jewel….so still and tranquil. It is comforting to gaze upon from my balcony."

            She smiled at him, the lips of red spreading like a warm streak of blood. He smiled back, his pale lips warming. "You speak so poetically about such a plain planet. But, still, I have lived upon it since birth. As plain as your flowers seem to you, my world is an everyday thing as well. I look up each night to the moon, we all do. It shines from your white flowers like a silver pearl. I suppose our worlds give one another comfort. The moon keeps the Earth in its protective light, and the Earth never leaves the Moon's side." She replied, walking around him towards the pearly gazebo.

            He followed, quietly, watching her raven black hair sway across her back. He could smell the earthen perfume of the land and roses from her. It was like wine, but what more could he do than admire her beauty from afar, never to have and hold such perfection close to his heart. He smiled at each step her black party shoes mate, the click-clack sending tumblings of pleasant shivers through his spine. His boots followed, tapping upon the pearl steps gradually, as if to make his gazing last longer.

            'She probably doesn't feel anything for me. The Earth folk always marry other Earth folk, they never marry outside their world. I am a foolish man, in love with and Earthling I just met. I feel sick with love, like I'd die without her smell and sight. I'm a hopeless dreamer….but….dreams….are beautiful when they come alive. She must truly be a dream from heaven.' He thought, following her stride too she stopped at the far end of the echoing gazebo. Her breathing was amplified in pitch, vibrating through the ceiling and down through his brain. He had to gather his sounded similar.

            Thoth walked up beside her, his eyes moving sidelong to take in her features. Her perfect skin shimmered in the glow of Earth, the planet of her origins reflecting in her beautiful blue eyes. It was if she was Earth itself, the mother of all, protecting all in her pure gaze. He took a shaky breath and tipped his face upwards, gazing with her.

            "It looks so tiny from here, like I could hold it in my hands. How odd to feel so superior to what would take many lifetimes to compare to…." She said suddenly.

            "Princess Yuki certainly has no trouble expression her superiority. Why did you come with her?" he asked, trying to hide his annoyance of the Mercury Princess.

            Alexia sighed softly. "Mother wanted me to come to the Moon Kingdom, she insisted. She's been on the Moon so very long, I was growing worried, but my bodyguard kept me in the castle."

            Thoth blinked softly. "Your mother is on the Moon? I mean she has been?" he stammered. Why had father kept that from him? Was there a problem? Queen Adamina never came unless it was important, like a dispute between planets or a….war.

            He looked at Alexia softly, her gaze saddened now upon her world. "Princess Alexia….what's wrong? Did I say something to offend you?"

            She sighed, her eyes now downcast. "No, not you. My mother….she worries me. She has been terribly secretive as of late….usually she tells me everything going on with other worlds, even disputes over the exportations of materials. Yet….for a few months, she has not spoken much of anything to me. She tells my bodyguard to take me to places to aid her, but they're truly trivial missions, like quelling petty fights amongst merchants and farmers. She truly worries me….as if something awful is about to happen, and she hopes to shield me. And now I see it is not merely my mother alone, but your father as well. What could be wrong?"

            Thoth shrugged softly. "Apparently, they don't want us involved….he's been quite distant to me. I try and come to his 'secret' meetings with Sir Cyrus and Lady Hina, but they stop taking and Hina escorts me to my room. Something is probably wrong, and they think us too young to understand. I'm nearing my 19th birthday, I'm not so young." He said crossly.

            She looked up at him, and chuckled softly. He blinked. "What?"

            She smiled, those ruby lips shining. "Oh….I did not know you were younger than I am by so little. I will be 20 in time. You surprise me so….Prince Thoth. I thought you were much younger."

            He blushed a soft pink. "I….Father says I look young for me age. He still looked young as well. I'm….flattered you think so. You look….very beautiful…."he said softly.

            Her eyes fluttered a moment, as if she was wondering if she had heard him correctly. The red rose in her fingers came up and she gave it a soft sniff. He watched her, feeling his tongue thicken at the sight of the petals grazing her lips. He let out a soft breath, a cool sensation registering upon his throat. His eyes lowered, widening a little at the rose she held to his pounding jugular.

            "I can always pick another….you seem to admire them so, please. Take it." She said. He nodded slowly, reaching up for it. He couldn't breath, looking at those lovely, slim fingers grasping the thorny stem of emerald. The scent of her lips and the rose mingled sweetly, rolling a hair length on his skin a moment.

            He tangled his fingers to the stem, finding her fingers greeting him. She felt warm and soft, a spark breaking between their fingertips. She looked up a bit more at him, startled by their skin touching.

            "Sorry I…."she began, but his body was already moving. He leaned to her and captured her red mouth in a deep keep. A deep breath of air rushed through his nose, as he tasted her, their fingers tightening around the stem. He felt like he was jumping off a cliff into a raging surf, a burning in his mind to hold her mouth with his. He felt some pressure from her warm lips, a response. His heart hammered madly. This was worth fighting for, not the sake of a battle, for a heart, for love.

            'Love….Father….Oh my god, what am I doing!' he thought and wretched back. She did so as well, at the same time.

            "I can't do this." they said together, then blinked gently. "I…..," he began, his eyes full of guilt," I shouldn't have kissed you. I was wrong. I'm supposed to maintain the harmony and peace of the Universe with the betrothal…I….I can't drag you into this. I can't….hurt you because I….I….."

            She shook her head. "No….we can't….no matter how much….we believe we…want to….No, how much we….really want to."

            'Want to? Does she care for me? This is a cruel fate, I love this woman, yet I love her too much to drag her name through the mud as a person who 'tempted' me from my future wife….Tempt, hah….I feel so much love for her….It feels so right but…Father, argh, why!?' he thought, a warm feeling sliding down his wrist. He looked to it. 

            He was bleeding and so was Alexia. They had gripped the rose stem so tightly that the thorns had pierced their skin. They were bleeding on each other, into each other's wounds. 'Like a blood bond….how….ironically cruel." He thought, his eyes saddened.

            Thoth plucked the rose from her hand softly, and gripped her bleeding hand with his clean one. "I….want it to. From the moment I saw you….I felt everything. But….as a prince, I have an obligation to my kingdom….and my father."

            "As I have obligations to my planet and my mother….." she said softly, gripping his hand tightly. He nodded, a wisp of his white hair fall across his eyes. He watched as she pushed the hair back into place with her clean hand, her blue eyes warm, yet pained.

            "We're prisoners of privilege….prisons made by our people's hearts, because they need the will of others to guide them to happiness and safety. 'Tis a sad fate….we make laws and treaties to protect them, but 'tis never enough. We must….put on plays for them….as they cannot be happy unless we make it all like a happy fairy tale."

            "But life is not a fairy tale….reality be not as sweet as true love's kiss. And I shall always regret knowing what it feels like….and accepting a cage of happiness built by others." She replied.

            Thoth's heart swelled with grief. A kiss, it was so much, it was everything, the Moon, the stars, the powers of all hope and a power beyond measure, yet so simply as two lips touching. How could he wed a woman he cared nothing for when the kiss would be cold and empty, devoid of the realness of Alexia's warm taste? The honeyed taste, smooth and inviting, how could he give it up? Give up someone he loved deeply.

            'Because they will blame Alexia….they'll blame and Earthling before a Moon citizen. Because they need lies to be happy, and I can't be happy.' He thought, taking his hand away from her slowly.

            "I love you sincerely…so….I must not do this to you. Even at the cost of what could be utter bliss. I can't let you….or my father hurt because of me."

            "As I cannot risk Mercury declaring war upon anyone. I will…not let my feelings interfere….with peace." Alexia uttered, stepping away and off the gazebo. She walked to the rose bushes, towards the palace. She stopped as she reached the roses, and plucked one gently. Alexia looked back at him, his body shadowed partially in the gazebo's pearl canopy. She smiled sadly at him, then turned quickly and ran into the bushes.

            His heart feel further into the darkness as her form vanished, the sound of sifting leaves escaping him. Thoth lifted the rose to his nose and sniffed it, his lips adoring the petals. He let his tongue slip out a little, the taste of her lipstick granted eventually. He shivered, a tear slipping from his eye. 'Why….must I be hurt….when all I want to do is love her? Why must I live a lie….with a broken heart?' he thought the tears flowing down his cheeks swiftly. The pain would never leave him. 

                                                            **_~ One Month Later ~_**

*The wedding plans were going swimmingly, though Prince Thoth was often seen gazing at the Earth, though he stopped running off to it. He seemed sad, regretful. It was the fact about him marrying a woman he wasn't in love with. Many princes and princesses we angry and upset about being in arranged marriages. So, we thought little of it. King Jericho worked endlessly with Queen Adamina to hide the fact that Specter was still gaining in power and could strike at the planets at any moment, while we were to keep his son and Princess Yuki busy with the wedding arrangements. *

*Oddly enough, Princess Yuki maintained herself well with the arrangements, though Prince Thoth seemed distracted. We wondered at times if he knew what was going on, but he showed no sign of being anything more than depressed. God only knew what was wrong with him. And to this day, we never found out. As only days later from the day of a special match between Yuki and Thoth occurred….,all the kingdoms except that of Earth….fell.*

                                                         **_~ Earth ~_**

**_                                                - The Rose Palace -_**

Alexia walked about her and her mother's palace quietly. Her eyes often strayed to the moon above, though not quite as full as it had been the night she committed a wonderful sin. She could feel him kissing her still, those anxious, hungry lips, hot and soothing like a bath. She'd wanted more, no matter how guilty she felt. She and Yuki were close friends. They even sparred with each other when Yuki would come to see if any of the soldiers of Earth could best her. Boisterous and proud Yuki, Alexia respected her as a warrior, but deeply pitied her for not seeing how her pride turned eyes away from her beauty. Yuki didn't need to constantly prove she was better, nor constantly proclaim it, or take what she wanted through battle. 

'Yet she has the man you've helplessly fallen in love with. The man you look to while your friend paws him. Oh Thoth, why can't I be that open….or respected. The Earth is seen as a fickle place by many of the worlds, yet respected. The Earth and Moon ruled as heads of the council of this Universe, though the Earth had gone slightly down in respect ever since Lord Specter's cult emerged. Though the royalty did not blame Earth entirely, the minds of the people were harder to convince. Hatred was easy when you were afraid, when you lacked your own will most times. One person was not nearly as dangerous as a group of people easily talked into gossip.

It was depressing, though even the Earth people were susceptible to their own petty ambitions and fears. Earth was a plethora of people of different terrains, races, and mind sets that those of others. The moon was a silvery world of rivers, lakes and silvery sand, packed neatly not loosely like the deserts of Earth. Venus was surrounded by layers of poison gasses that took special spells and equipment to pass through to beauty beneath. Pluto was cold and near barren of plant and animal, a dead world with a tragic prince and princess. Even the swirling cerulean world of Neptune did not nearly have the amount of color that Earth did, nor the variety of terrain.

Regardless of that, people were people, no matter the planet or land. People readily feared what they didn't understand and blamed the easiest targets, such as the royal families and other planets. It was easier than blaming oneself for the turmoil their fear created. Her eyes lifted again to the full moon, the sparkling silver orb shining over her skin. She smiled softly, running her fingers up and down her arms, then her throat. Alexia's mind longed it to be him, but in her heart that desire would never be realized. 

Dreaming was painful, dreaming of him there, caressing her skin, and wooing her with those lovely eyes that sparkled like icy endless pools. No matter how great the guilt, dreaming of his touch brought a small amount of comfort, but in the end, the pain remained. Her chest heaved softly, her cheeks flushing a soft pink.

Alexia quickly shook her head and moved quickly to her room. Her body splayed across her dark sheets, her fingers trailing about her arms and stomach. It was such a simple need, to be his, but so far when he was mindlessly promised to another. Arranged marriages were fickle, even if all royal families and nobles did it. Mother and Father, King Jericho and the Queen Aura, and so on. Mother always said the same thing," I grew to love him." It was always that way, but Mother rarely spoke of him except when talking to fellow royalty and guests, never her own and only child. 

The roses were all she knew of him. He had loved them greatly in life and always had the servants tending them and spreading the garden farther and farther until endless blood red roses surrounded the castle for miles. They brought her part of the lost memories of her father and inadvertently the attention of the young Moon Prince. Truly the roses caught his eyes and she never saw the white haired beauty all the time he had snuck through the gardens, but still his heart bloomed with hers as their eyes met. She'd felt an unnatural shiver in her body, warmth spreading from the soothing gaze. Her heart pounded softly at first until Yuki called for her, then it sped up the more the party dragged on. 

She had lied in a way to him. She had not known she had smitten him as she had as well. Alexia had left out of being unable to stand gazing at Yuki hanging on him like a sparkling leech. She felt if she could not see them, her heart would stop pounding….that she'd stop imagining herself being the one beside him. Her heart went on pounding as she walked farther through the gardens of white roses, her mouth drying terribly. The roses were as white has his beautifully downy hair. He was like a living angel with gold kissed to his soft skin. Then he appeared in the garden and she did her best to keep from making a fool out of herself, but it never mattered. Her control left in the gazebo, her rose touching his throat. They both lost themselves to their desires and sinned together.

Alexia sighed heavily on the sheets, her hands neatly folded upon her stomach. She couldn't stop thinking about that kiss or his beautiful eyes. It felt so right, yet would be wrong to all other eyes. She had to think more, before she lost him forever to the prison of the people.

"My lady Alexia, are you all right?" a smooth voice breathed. She sat up slowly, tucking her warm legs up. The man in the silver armor and fully silvery white hair looked upon her, his lavender eyes shadowed. He had a scar over his left eye, but not enough that he couldn't see out of the jagged mark of soft pink. "Oh…Sir Xeno….I didn't hear you come in." Alexia replied.

Xeno looked at her softly, sword on his hip, and looking as guarded as ever. He was a quiet man, but a loyal knight and the superior of all the Earth knights of the palace. He had been guarding his mother and her since Alexia was born, and then he was but 15 years old. He gained the scar when he was away before Alexia was even 7. He also became distant, even quieter and reserved than before, but he never left their family. All be it an older man, he always looked barely over 25, but he was just that way, like a specter, misting through the halls as a silent and deadly force.

"Are you all right….?" He repeated.

He was also stubborn and pushy, in his own reserved way. "I am ….all right….just thinking." She said softly, looking down, then heard the click of his silver boots sound. Her eyes lifted, his silvery figure looking upon her only a foot away from her bed. "Thinking….and moaning."

Her cheeks reddened a moment, but a quick shake seemed to push it away. Sometimes he was annoying with how alert he was. He was a superb knight, really the greatest of the 9 planets and moon, but also an excellent tracker. He chuckled softly, short and crisp as a cold snap. "You are a young woman, not a little girl, my Princess. It is nothing to feel ashamed of. But, it is not a cure for what ails a heart. Perhaps….if I may be so bold as to ask, Princess Alexia, if I could offer my assistance in your….thinking."

Alexia felt her abdomen tighten a little, but Sir Xeno was a loyal man. She could confide a little, just not say who she was infatuated with. "It's a young man I met….he….he makes me feel….so terribly alive. More than anything, it's like breaking the surface of a cool lake, those first colors of the sky when morning breaks. 

Sir Xeno nodded softly, his eyes lidding a bit. "So you are greatly in love with this young man." He stated quietly.

Yes. This love makes me feel so new and refreshed, but….people would be against us being together. People would frown upon it and our families….but deep down, part of me could care less. Still, it will hurt people, I simply just want to be happy with him, just him, like I'd die if he were no longer there. I don't know what to do, he's in my every waking thought and when I sleep, every dream takes me to him. It's becoming unbearable to keep away from him….for both our sakes and others. I feel so lost…." She sighed, her hand to her heart.

Sir Xeno nodded, rubbing his chin with his long, pale fingers. He was silent for a long time, barely moving except the unseen breeze moving his hair. Alexia's throat felt like it was closing up, fearing he would tell her to forget the man, to find a real life, to act her age, something mature. As time dragged on, she hoped he would just make a noise and stop torturing her with the awful silence.

 "Princess….before I answer you….may I tell you a small story##?" he said suddenly, crossing his arms behind his back.

She blinked gently. "A story….but why?"

He tilted his head to the side, his expressionless face reflecting the glow of the moon. "Just….hear me out, my Princess."

She nodded, unsure of what to say to the contrary. 

Sir Xeno breathed out softly and turned his head towards the moon. "There was a young man who was deeply in love with a maiden from the moon of Ganymede. The maiden wasn't an extraordinary beauty, but something about her caught the young man's eye. Though as unimportant as she seemed to many, the young man treasured her like a rare jewel. The young man wooed her, paid her every respect, and even gave sweet kisses in public, and spoke his heart endlessly to her. He was in pleasurable torment to know she loved him back." He spoke softly, his right hand coming down and gripping the hold of his blade.

Alexia nodded softly, a smile on her lips. "It sounds so romantic."

He nodded. "Yes….that is how it began….but then, people became jealous. Gossip filtered through Ganymede and Titan, then to other worlds that this young man was with this ordinary woman. Words like whore….gold digger….slut….and witch reached their ears. The young man defended her, but still, the pitiful gossipers spread the lies further of why the woman was with someone like him. The woman….however, was crushed. She could not go anywhere without people whispering, without the cold stares and accusing looks of why she was with the man. No one believed it was love, they called her temptress and deceiver, that she had cast spells to trick the man to find her beautiful. They did not understand through the jealous lies of women that he loved her for everything she was, not the masks of beauty without a heart."

Alexia nodded gently, feeling her skin tighten, her eyes watering hotly. It sounded awful. She wondered if she would be seen that way if she dared to love Thoth openly. Would Yuki feel as the jealous females did? Would the kingdoms call her whore?

"The man did not care, and sought to pluck her from the sickness of that place, from the tears, the taunts, and the terrible green eyes that infected that world….but….he tried too late. The woman he fell in love with….died….her beauty became horrible, her heart like sharp stone, and hateful. The good woman he had loved, became what had tormented her, hate."

"What….what did the young man do?" she asked softly.

He looked back, his eyes telling no tales. "He fought her….to save her homeland from her dark hate. The woman he had loved was murdered by the hate, and would take others with her to feel good about herself, instead of the young man's love to heal her. He was foolish to wait so long, to allow the lies to poison her goodness," he replied evenly, his fingers brushing his scar," Then he came home….and vowed not only to end her suffering when he found her again….but to never love another, as he still believed that somewhere in that shell of darkness was his ordinary love."

"You were the young man….weren't you Sir Xeno." She replied.

He looked at her, not even hinting a thing. "That is not the point," he spoke, lowering his hand," the point is the moral of the story. Did you see it?"

"I…," she said softly, thinking a moment," I believe it is….not to take love for granted and to cherish what you have?"

He smiled briefly with a knowing sigh. It surprised her, no matter how brief it was. "I commend your effort…but no, Princess Alexia. The moral is….to fight for your love. Do not let it be stolen by anyone, no matter what anyone thinks of it. Never let go….as that young woman did."

Alexia opened her mouth a bit, but he started to walk out. "Cherish this moral, as there is no greater power than love….no greater treasure. It is your choice to make, my princess," he said softly, standing by the door and pulling it open," But for now, we must go to the Moon. The Queen insists that you come as soon as possible. As does Princess Yuki, she needs you to try on your dress for the wedding."

Alexia nodded, and stood. "Yes, Sir Xeno. A lot needs to be done….yes."

                                    **_    ~ The Moon Kingdom ~_**

A silver blade with a blue hilt embedded itself into a white tree trunk hard. A hush fell over spectators. Prince Thoth stood over Princess Yuki, his blade to her neck. "Match." He said quietly, his eyes narrowed.

Yuki smiled, licking her lips. "Yes….my Snowflake….you win."

Thoth felt the wild urge to clock her on the head with the hilt for flirting with him at such a moment. She was always flirting and normally all over him every time she came. He could barely breath with her grabbing at him like a runaway dog. The sparring match was her idea, a tradition with her family to decide who was in charge. In all the years of her family, the Mercury royals always won, male and female, but this was the first time one of her family's skills fell. 

He only beat her to make her look bad, but it only seemed to arouse her interest in him. Nothing had gone right, nothing felt right, and nothing would be right married to this lunatic. His life would be as unpleasant as rolling on hot coals, blistering and aggravating. 

Thoth tugged his blade away, sheathing it swiftly. He didn't offer his hand to help her up, but she just sighed happily and hopped up, then smooshed her front into his back. He mentally gagged, wishing it were princess Alexia, not this brute. "Ah, my Snowflake, you still effortlessly impress me. I can hardly wait to see how you are in bed…mm…I bet you're a wild man." She purred. The revulsion in his stomach boiled, partially swishing in his throat. 

He swallowed hard and looked around for an escape, but everyone was watching them, except for his father. The king had been out of touch for days at a time, and it was really bothering him. He'd have to confront his father about his evasive behavior the next time he saw him. Thoth was tired of being left to the battle crazy barbarian princess.

"Princess Yuki….please, you must wait for your wedding night for such antics." Sir Xeno piped softly.

'I'd kiss that guy if he weren't a guy. Ahhh….' He thought, feeling Yuki slide off. "Yes, Sir Xeno….a wonderful night indeed." She purred and pecked Thoth's cheek. He bit the inside of his mouth a moment, then his eyes washed away all anger. Alexia was with Sir Xeno, dressed as beautifully as before, a sword on her hip and a red rose in her hair. What a sight for sore eyes. After a long month of being hung on and his arm turning purple from the constant squeezing and smothering, he was freed. He'd barely been able to bathe without her trying to hang on him.

"Tonight is a special gathering of royalty, Princess Yuki, Prince Thoth," he said, bowing softly," Since the wedding will be quite soon, many of the planet's will be sending delegates and royalty to show their support. I am here to escort you all to your chambers….and then the ballroom."

Thoth nodded slightly. "Yes….how nice it will be to….clean off a few stains." He said a bit crassly. Xeno's eyes narrowed a little, but then became emotionless again. "Yes….this way please." He uttered, and turned sharply on his heels. Thoth followed closely, but not nearly enough as Yuki latched onto him again. 'I pray I die in bed with her before she gets her claws in me….I don't want to remember a wedding night.' He thought crossly.

His eyes swiveled to Alexia, who was now beside him and Yuki. She looked as beautiful as the day they met, no, more so. She was blooming with strength and chaste beauty. His guilty mind had never been the same since he kissed her. Dreams, endless red rose dreams of them standing upon his balcony, or on the palace steps, reaching out to one another or kissing. His dreams even went as far to make love to the sins of his brain, resulting in an uncomfortable day and cold bathes.

He felt sick with love for her, suffocating longing squeezing on his body. Through all the wedding plans, the boring talks of Yuki and her achievements, her opinions of how to win and what was great, he always drifted away, thinking of that kiss, something he had no right to take, but wanted to keep robbing those lips of flavor. He saw Alexia instead of Yuki, Alexia instead of his father or the vassals. It was always Alexia, more and more and more until his eyes hurt with the wonderful hallucination. 

To see her now, he wondered if he were daydreaming again, if the smell of the blood red rose in her hand was just a hope and empty of life. He sniffed softly, taking the warm, smooth odor in, then her scent of blossoms and the land. His body burned with desire, burned with rage against the cage that bound him, and the heat nearly made him gasp for air. She was truly here, Alexia had returned after a long lonely month of stomaching Yuki's miserable company. 

'I feel tormented by this visit, but I welcome it too. If only to forget my fate….to forget the lock will soon be sealed. Alexia…my darling Alexia…' he thought, a small smile curling no his lips as they walked on.

                                                **_~ That Night ~_**

                                                 **_~ Ballroom ~_**

*The ball of the Prince of the Moon and the Princess of Mercury had come, within the week they would soon be wed. It was utterly joyous. All those who had come for engagement party had come to the ball, and many more. It was utterly beautiful, champagne, fine foods, crystal dishes and glasses, and even the King of the Moon and Queen of Earth was present for the occasion. The party was so large that we lost track of a lot of the guests. *

*Hina and I were trying to maintain the flow of guests so much, we lost track of our ward Prince Thoth. Yuki brought it to our attention that he was missing….just before…everything ended. Before Specter and the Goddess came and destroyed so many innocent lives.*

Thoth scurried out of the palace down the steps. He felt sick from the talk of his future at the hands of others. It was too much, not when Alexia was here. He had seen her leave the party nearly and hour ago, but escaping Yuki had been another matter. He'd had to stomach her four another hour and let her get in a conversation with Pirro. The two always got into heated arguments to prove one or the other was better, though Pirro seemed more intent on getting Yuki to talk more to him.                  

Thoth didn't care either way, and took instant advantage of the lucky stroke and escape out one of the side doors. His feet took him swiftly through the forest, his long silvery white cape flowing behind him. It caught a bit on some of the rose bushes' thorns, but he tore from them, anything to seek her out.

His feet carried him to the pearl gazebo, where the kiss occurred. It was vacant to him at first, lattice pearl fencing around it blocking his eyes from it. As he moved to the steps that led inside it, his eyes fell on a single red rose, glistening with soft raindrops, upon the center of the gazebo. He breathed softly a moment, and then entered it, walking right up to the rose. It had not rained on the moon at all, but still, it was Alexia's rose. He picked it up as if it were glass, one of the drops falling onto his hand. He looked at the clear drop and gave it a lick. 'Salty…tears…they're tears….Oh Alexia.' He thought painfully. She had wept, what pain was she suffering now because of his sin?

He kissed it softly, his lips enjoying the soft, moist feel of the petals. "I am glad you game, Prince Thoth." Alexia's silken voice uttered.

Thoth turned slightly, holding the rose in his fingers gently. She stood there, wearing a small black party mask, her body shimmering in the Earth's glow until she walked within the gazebo, right up before him. "I am too." He said softly, reaching to touch her face. She stopped his hand, gripping it softly. "I came to tell you….I cannot do this anymore. The pain is too great."

His heart sank. "Oh….I see."

"I cannot let….myself deny what I feel for you,….Thoth." she whispered. His eyes widened, the grip on his hand lacing with his. The rose remained between them, wonder and longing filling his eyes. "You….want to….be with me…." He breathed. She nodded gently, taking off her mask. "I love you, no matter what happens. I love you with all my guilty heart. I didn't want to, but I can't stop thinking of you and I. Truly, I envy Yuki, though she was only promised to you. I feel so filthy….betraying my friend for my heart, but….the pain is too much to forget why I ache. It's too great to….take any longer. I can't let go of something so real and alive as what I felt in that kiss. I don't want to lose you." Her voice was so pained and desirable, the longing like poison to his ears, beautifully infectious.

"I can't either….I tried….to forget it, but I can't. You're in my every thought. I'm almost glad in a way you suffered as much as I did, to know you love me….as I love you as well. I had that kiss, knowing what that prison can never instill in me….love so strong it hurts. If we must hurt, we shall hurt together, forever and ever, my beloved Alexia." He replied gently.

"Oh Thoth….damn us, damn us to hell for this." She wept softly, her mask falling from her hands. 

"Alexia….sweet Alexia." He gasped, the rose slipping through his fingers, his lips hungrily dipping into her, tasting her sweet mouth as the Earth hung overhead. His hands slipped up her back hotly, searching for the way.

Her chest heaved sharply as she press into his body, her fingers pushing away his cape. His knees gave as their tongues dances together, the heat spreading through their anxious bodies. He lowered himself to his knees, taking her with him, the strings of her dress coming loose in his fingers as the roses lost sight of their passion.

                                                **_~ 1 Hour Later ~_**

 Thoth smiled warmly at Alexia as he buttoned his shirt. Her eyes swam with emotions, tying her dress back up neatly. "We best get back quickly….they'll have missed you by now."

He nodded, standing himself up, tucking her rose away in his shirt. "I'll just tell then I was bored and you can drag me back." He replied.

She gave a gentle smile. He was her first love, her first kiss, her first time, all so right and wonderful, yet it had to be a secret. Doing what you wanted as a person would cause problems for the planets. Life would be difficult, but as long as they had each other, nothing would give them pain again.

"Let's go then." She sighed, walking out of the gazebo. Thoth followed and hugged her softly from behind. She smiled, leaning into him gently. She wanted this moment to last as long as it could. His embrace was so wonderful and safe, nothing could wrench her from it except her own mind. She sighed, looking back softly. He smiled at her, his pale lips inviting as ever.

BOOM!!!!

            Alexia cried out, grasping onto Thoth tightly. "What was that….??" She yelped, but he wasn't answering, his eyes locked ahead of where they stood.

            She looked, her eyes greeted by a horror among horrors. A dark, menacing cloud was in the sky, and there was smoke curling up towards it. "That palace! Father!" Thoth shouted, grabbing Alexia's hand, then unsheathed his sword and too of running with her.

            "Oh Mother! We must help them!" she yelled out, regretting leaving her blade in her room. 'Dammit!' she thought, her mind full of worry for her friends and mother.

            As they broke out of the garden, Thoth gagged at the burning castle. They were just several feet from the steps that led up, and the bodies were simply everywhere.

            The dark Princess Raven was dismembering guests and soldiers alike while Prince Viper was fighting his way through guests like a sick child. The vassals Hina and Cyrus were fighting alone against monsters and the horrible Princess Kittiana. 

            "Sir Cyrus!!" he shouted, running with Alexia towards the battle. Cyrus lifted his head up as his claws hacked through a bird monster. "My Prince! Get to safety! Please! Ah!" he shouted, getting cut across the chest.

            Hina slashes the creature for the attack, but another cut her across her back. Thoth went for them, his sword screaming for his friends' attackers.

            A dark bubble crashed between him and them, knocking him and Alexia back hard. Cyrus and Hina began screaming, Kittiana's sick laughter burning into Alexia's mind. "Ahahahahah! Kitty has improved the annoying Nekos….and Kitty will skin them and make them perfect for Kitty's needs!" the princess cackled, floating over two piles  of torn clothes, two cat heads sticking out of the shirts. "Cyrus! Hina! You evil bitch, don't you touch them!!" he shouted and slashed at her. The princess was so busy laughing, she never saw the blade coming until her arm was severed.

            Her screams rang clear in the battlefield, the blood vomiting across Thoth's body before she shot off like a light. Alexia ran up beside him, the cat vassals squirming out of the clothing, looking so helpless.

            "Find my Father, just go! You can't fight now….just get a Moon Gate ready when you find him! We'll be right behind you. Go!" Thoth told Cyrus, getting a slight nod before the black cat Cyrus and amber Hina ran off into the crumbling palace.

            He turned around a moment to look at Alexia a moment, to probably tell her to follow, but he didn't. He looked around her, his eyes narrowing angrily. Her heart seemed to speed up terribly the longer he stared, his grip on his hilt tightening. Her body whirled, unable to take the rising sick fear in her stomach. It only grew as her eyes lay upon a darkly dressed man with a great blade. His entire form screamed evil, those terrible eyes of purple stabbing into her soul. "Greetings, your highness, I am Lord Specter. Now, time to die …." His dark voice uttered, then his body rushed at her.

            She backed off as fast as she could, but her shoe cough on the rubble of the steps, her body falling backwards as those purples eyes rushed at her with their dark rage. "NOOOOOO!!!!" Thoth screamed, his silvery white form in front of her suddenly. There was a sharp clang, then another as she landed on her back hard, her mind dazed with white.

            The next clang came, then…a thick wet crunch, red mixing into the red. Her vision was clearing, her body forcing it shaking form up. Thoth stood, quivering a bit, a thick sheet of red wetness pooling around his boots and cape. The end of a blade was sticking out his back, soaked with blood. Thoth was choking and coughing loudly, trying to breathe. "Th…Thoth!?" she cried out,  reaching for him. Another sickly wet crunch came, the blade exiting his body. His form jerked sharply, and fell into her arms, his blade clattering at her feet. His head swung back, surprise and anguish filtering across his features. "Al…Ale….xia….I…'m….sorry. I….cough …love…you." he coughed, blood vomiting from his once tranquil pale lips. He simply just stopped all together, his eyes shutting softly with his final cough, a bleeding angel in its final hour.

            "Thoth!" she screamed, looking up hatefully at his killer. "You murderer! He died for me! You….you monster why!?" she shouted.

He smiled and pointed the blade at her. "You….I was hoping he'd get in my way, no need for a hero. I came for you….as I try for the Soul Crystal again, but now you are needed as well. And now, they'll both be mind and the Goddess will become flesh! Hahahah!" he cackled.

            "Me!? Why do you need me??" she shouted, the tears pouring from her eyes.

            He grinned, so terrible and evil that she felt as if the world had gone completely cold. "Your mother will never know what I wanted, but you will, my sweet. I want your womb. You're going to be MY Queen, and we shall birth the ultimate being, the host body for the Dark Goddess, and soon she will rule all universes forever with the tainted Soul Crystal. Accept your fate, no one can save you, not your prince. The warriors and royalty are dead….only you and that hack Jericho remain. Now, I shall have my vengeance against him and your mother, and the Goddess shall rule all!" he cackled gleefully, raising his sword high.

            'No…I won't let it be. Thoth….you died….for me….now I….will die for you.' She thought sadly, grabbing up Thoth's fallen blade. Thoth's body fell upon the cracked ground with a loud thud. "I love only one man, and I shall never be another's! Thoth! I am coming!" she cried out, looking to the stars as she raised the sword.

            Specter's eyes jerked towards her, the evil feeling washing over her skin, but she felt no fear and she rammed the blade through her chest. The pain was all too real, suffocating her with her own blood. Her eyes fluttered, then, darkness sent her tumbling.

                                                                        ~

            "The princess!!" Hina cried, tears streaming down her firry face.

            "Prince Thoth!! My King, Specter has murdered him! What can we do?" Cyrus shouted.

            The despondent king looked at the ruins of the moon kingdom, the swarms of monsters ever multiplying across the surface, then the dark laughing sky where the Dark Goddess' essence boiled. He was holding his torso, his wound was fatal in his liver. He would not survive if he fought neither with his blade nor with the power about his neck. "I must….give them another chance, a life away from this pain, even at the cost of mine. There truly is no choice. I cannot let Specter or the Goddess have the Soul Crystal, or the chance to defile the bodies of….those who died today. My son….Thoth, please forgive me….I cannot go where you are, but I pray….you will be safe this time." He uttered softly, pulling his necklace off.

            He held it high as the dark forces advanced towards him. "**_Soul Crystal Light!_** _I call upon your power to seal the powers of darkness and rebirth those who have lost their lives this night. Grant the wish from my heart for the safety of these people. Grant them your guidance to a safer time and life! Take my life for theirs! **SHINE!**_" he shouted, the Soul Crystal unleashing swirls of blinding light.

            Specter screamed with the Goddess in the sky, his monsters and soldier thrashing violently in the blessed light of the King's pure wish. Their agonized screams went hurtling away, but also ripped up what remained of the once beautiful Moon Kingdom and sent it flying into dust.

            Despite the pain that was taking his body, King Jericho remained standing tall, the crystal raised high to the stars. The warriors of the Dark became seal, hurtling to the earth in crystals, to be hidden away for all times, he prayed. The innocent, royal, soldier or common, all of them floated away in balls of light. Jericho shed tears as he saw his son curled in one, looking so peaceful, it was as if his son were merely sleeping, Princess Alexia's form floating above him. The cat vassals were the last to vanish from his eyes, his strength leaving him.

            The crystal split into a gold and silver light, and then vanished like the wind as he fell upon the cold ruined ground. His head slumped to the side, his glazing eyes hoping against hope that Specter would never return. Even if they did, he had ensured their safety. His eyes cast upon the ruined painting of him and his queen, the painting flaking apart as his heart slowed. 

            "Aura…."he whispered softly, reaching out weakly as the paint came apart," We shall….watch over them. Yes….." 

            Then, everything stopped.

                                                            **_~ The Soul Menagerie^ ~_**

            Stephen blinked softly, his sore bare skin wrapped in endless silken sheets. His eyes were full of tears. His life, he had lived that life, and now had seen it anew. He remembered it all, so vivid and painful. His heart hurt from the pain he and his princess had endured, then lost each other in a moment. How it was all so forgotten hours ago, now, he couldn't let go of the memories. His father had given his life to give them all another chance, not thinking of resurrecting himself.

            'Father….you tried so hard,….I never realized how important this all was really. It was lives, yes, but….he's after her again….and the crystal. You put the pieces inside us, you knew….You knew I was in love with her….you knew.' He thought.

            A soft rustling came across from him, a woman's soft weeping as well. He moved best he could, remaining covered, towards it and found Alessa weeping in her own tangled sheets. "Alessa…." He uttered gently, his eyes starved for the sight of her. She looked up swiftly, those tearful blue eyes reflecting his face.

"Stephen….I can't believe it….all this time, the man I was searching for was you. All this time, you were right before my eyes." She said softly.

He nodded, carefully sitting before her as he took in her beauty. She was radiant, even though wracked with the sadness of the past as he was, he felt as if his eyes were cheating heaven to gaze upon her like this. They had shared so few moments in the past, and now they had interacted nearly every day never knowing truly what lay beneath their modern forms. There had never been much reason to wonder, but how could they have even known their bodies held such secrets. He'd loved Gaia from the moment Glamour came into his life, feeling new yet familiar. His body remembered their love, but his mind had been lost to it.

Until now. He slowly wrapped his warm arms about her sheet-covered form, his fingers grazing a bit of her soft skin. He could almost smell that earthen rose scent, her bright eyes tilting up towards him. "Alessa….Specter will never hurt you like that again. This time, I'll destroy him and we can be together like we dreamed. I promise."

Alessa smiled a little, sliding her arms best she could about his neck. "And I will fight by your side….the Dark will not take us from each other. We will avenge our parents….and all those who suffered for the sake of madness."

Stephen let out a soft chuckle, and leaned closer. "Dear Alessa…."

"Stephen…." She murmured softly, their lips meeting hotly, the taste of her mouth filling his. He barely felt the sheets blow about them. They were flying off of them, as the kiss grew more passionate, his hands rubbing at her back. He didn't care so long as the kiss continued. He had his princess again, he had his love, and no force of heaven or hell could take it from him.

                                                **_~ Ray's Bedroom ~_**

"And that's the story of how the kingdom fell." Cyrus finished, rubbing at his stomach. 

Lamont nodded. "So we all died, and the King gave up his life to give us all another chance? So all of us, many people we see in our daily lives….died when Specter attacked."

Hina nodded. "Not all, but most of the Earth population is of those from other worlds that perished, even the planets of Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune fell. They never knew what hit them due to the swiftness of the attacks."

"So there are more knights?" Ray piped, looking curious. Angela felt the same way. So she had been meant to marry the prince, her Snowflake, even then, but it was robbed of her because of Specter. 'Always something gets in my way, but not this time. Nothing can take my wonderful Snowflake from me.'

Cyrus was about to answer when he and Hina grabbed their stomach and fell out of sight off the bed. The crystal began to glow, splitting down the middle into a golden and silver orb each. Angela shielded her eyes quickly as the pieces began to flash brightly, Cyrus and Hina's yelps filtering through her senses.

The light cleared after a few moments, the feel of it making her vision splotching. She could see some dark red and then some white and light blue blurs, and her ears heard rustling, and heavy breathing. She rubbed at her eyes hard to clear it, but Martina was the first to shatter her mind.

"Wow, Stephen gay…." Martina said quietly, shocked then started tittering.

Angela's heart near jumped out of her chest, her eyes jerking up to behold Stephen, kissing Gary. 'Gay??? He's gay!!?? Dammit! I went after two gay guys? This can't be, he's my Snowflake! Not his!' her mind screamed, but the kiss was so passionate and heated, she couldn't move, let alone speak. She was just frozen by the sight of Stephen giving such a kiss to a guy.

Ray had no trouble getting up, and Lamont was following him, both bending over a bit to gawk at what they were seeing. Lamont just looked a bit surprised. Ray looked stunned a moment, then his face grew angry. His fist rose and bopped Stephen on the head.

Stephen "Mmmphed!" loudly into Gary's mouth, then pulled back, his arms still wrapped about his tutor's torso. "RAY? How'd you get in here?"

"You're making out on my bed, meathead! If you want to tongue wrestle, you and your boyfriend go outside." Ray seethed. Stephen blinked softly, and  Gary's sunglass donned face looked surprised. "Boyfriend?" Stephen said, and looked to Gary.

Gary reddened and shook his head. "Go ahead…tell them." He said, his voice softer, not as sickly sounding. Ray's eyes narrowed.

"Gary's a woman….Gaia. Show them Gaia." Stephen said crisply, annoyed with the assumptions.

Angela felt a glimmer of hope at those words, and more so when Gary took off 'his' jacket and sunglasses and undid 'his' braid. He turned his back a bit and his long black hair came loose, lustrous and full, like Glamour's had been. After a bit of shuffling Gary pulled out a strap and turn back to face them again, with a woman's chest quite obvious under the shirt. 'A woman….I had a crush on a girl….and Stephen is kissing…her….this can't be happening. Stephen's my Snowflake, not this Gaia's!' she thought, biting her lip tightly.

"So now you see….I'm a girl in disguise….and you probably…know who else I am too." Gaia replied softly.

Lamont nodded a bit. "The prince and princess went into the crystal….but you were Moon and Glamour before that. Yeah, it is obvious….wow, all this time, you were both in plain sight."

Martina blinked softly. "What's obvious?"

Lamont groaned and threw ray's pillow at her. She yelped softly and flopped over. "Gaia is Lady Glamour, you wiffle! And she's our Princess."

Cyrus' cat form hopped onto the bed suddenly, setting himself in Stephen's lap. "And we must protect them both now….now that they have awakened and the Soul Crystal has returned, Lord Specter will stop at nothing to claim it."

Lamont blinked. "Hey, you're a cat again??"

Cyrus nodded as Hina walked to a sputtering Martina, sitting in her lap. "Its part of Kittiana's curse….only because the prince and princess recalled themselves were we able to assume human form. We can at least retain the memory of that time, but you all will never fully remember so long as darkness survives. Her curses are quite bothersome, and even if she were still alive….she'd never take it off. Her fun would be all the more spoiled."

Stephen looked like he was a little confused, but managed a small nod. "So my family and friends are safe from her…."

"But I am not….Specter still wants to birth a host body from me for the Dark Goddess. He won't stop until he has me…and the Soul Crystal inside our souls." Gaia said quietly. Stephen gripped her gloved hand tightly. "I won't let it happen. Specter's going to fall….and we'll all be safe, like my father…wanted. History is not going to…repeat itself." He assured her. Angela felt pangs of jealousy. This Gaia was stealing Stephen away, she had been since they met. 

'He's my Snowflake….not hers. I'll fight for him….' She thought, but her heart sank as Gaia and Stephen hugged tenderly. Could she really break it up? Why were they so in love? Wasn't the prince supposed to marry her? Why the Earth Princess?

Angela stood up swiftly, startling the others, but Stephen just glanced up at her. "Well…we better get to work before your….little cross-dressing girlfriend get kidnapped." She said crassly. Stephen glared a little, but nodded. "I'm taking Gaia home…. I'll talk to you all after school at the arcade…."

"Why so bossy suddenly?" Ray quipped as Stephen and Gaia stood, Cyrus bounding off the downy haired boy's lap. Stephen looked up, and that look of pain nearly forced a tear from Angela's eyes. It was of loss….regret, and the helplessness of a tragic life. "Cause we saw what happened then….we lived it all over again. I do not want that to happen to any of us again. And I will never let Specter get his hands on Gaia again." Stephen replied evenly, and he and Gaia walks out of the room, leaving Ray dumfounded.

Angela simply stared at the door for a while, even long after they had gone. 'What does she have that I don't? What Snowflake? What's so great about Gaia….?' She thought angrily, and then ran out of the room, running all the way home. "Why her!?" she shouted at the sky, her eyes full of blame towards the sky. It offered no answers, only silent stars and the cool darkness they rested upon.

                                                **_To Be Continued…._**  

**_*- Thoth_**_ is the name of the Egyptian God of the Moon._

**_**- Jericho_**_ is the City of the Moon._

**_***-_** **_Alexia_** _means the defender of mankind._

**_*^- Adamina_**_ means the daughter of the Earth._

**_$-_** **_Nariko_**_ is Japanese for gentle child._

**_%_**_- **Pirro** means red-haired, reminiscent of flaming hair._

**_$%-_**_ **Freya** is the Norse Queen of the Gods._

**_#$-_**_ **Yuki** is Japanese for_ _snow_.

**_#-_** _The phrase is in reference to rose-colored glasses, seeing everything that way._

**_##-_**_ This story Xeno tells is sort of a side story about Xeno and the woman who became Raven. Yes, Raven was not always evil, she was made evil when Specter offered her a way to stop the gossip and disrespect, but it cost her Xeno and her soul. Xeno and her fought when she tried to kill all those of her home world, and earned him a scar and the endless pursuit of the woman he loved, to try and guide her. You all know that he was found before anyone good could, and made evil. Sad huh?_

_            **On a side note, yes, I was very cruel to Lady Mercury, but she deserved it. She needs a good hard kick in the pant to stop harassing Stephen. **_

**_Teaser: _**_With the past selves revealed, The Dark Universe begins to hunt the Earth Princess with their most valued warrior, Xeno, the Tragic Dark Knight. Stephen and Gaia struggle to protect each other, and face their future. That, and hiding their relationship from Allan._


End file.
